Federal Court Blocks Texas GOP Redistricting Plan/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A panel of federal judges blocked Texas from using its newly drawn U.S. House map for the 2026 elections. The court ruled the map was racially gerrymandered, diluting Black and Hispanic voter power. The decision disrupts Republican plans to gain more seats and aid Trump’s House majority push.
Quick Look:
- Federal judges rule that Texas cannot use its newly redrawn U.S. House map for the 2026 midterms.
- The map, drawn by Republicans, aimed to secure five more GOP seats.
- Judges found “substantial evidence” of racial gerrymandering.
- The decision marks a major setback for former President Donald Trump’s redistricting strategy.
Deep Look: Court Ruling Halts Use of GOP-Favored Map
A panel of three federal judges on Tuesday blocked Texas from using its newly redrawn congressional map in the 2026 midterm elections, citing evidence of racial gerrymandering designed to dilute the voting power of Black and Hispanic communities.
“The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics. To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map. But it was much more than just politics,” the ruling stated. “Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map.”
Blow to Trump’s National Redistricting Push
The decision deals a significant blow to President Donald Trump’s broader push for GOP-controlled legislatures to redraw congressional maps in their favor. Texas was the first state to follow his call to action earlier this year, redrawing its map to create five additional Republican-leaning districts. Missouri and North Carolina followed suit with maps expected to give Republicans an extra seat each.
Democrats in California countered by passing a ballot measure to expand their own congressional representation by five seats.
Impact on Texas’ Congressional Balance
Currently, Republicans hold 25 of Texas’ 38 U.S. House seats. The now-blocked map would have increased that number to potentially 30 by redrawing boundaries in favor of heavily Republican areas.
Had the map been in place for the 2024 election, President Trump would have won 30 Texas districts by a margin of at least 10 percentage points — effectively locking in a larger GOP advantage for years to come.
Judicial Panel Reflects Bipartisan Appointments
The 2-1 decision was issued by a bipartisan panel: one judge appointed by Trump, one by President Ronald Reagan, and one by President Barack Obama. The ruling followed a two-week trial in El Paso where civil rights groups challenged the map under the Voting Rights Act and U.S. Constitution.
Civil Rights Groups Argue Map Dilutes Minority Power
A coalition of legal advocates argued that the new map reduces the number of districts where minorities — particularly Black and Hispanic voters — hold meaningful influence.
The redistricting reduced the number of minority-majority voting-age districts from 16 to 14 and eliminated five of nine “coalition” districts where minority voters collectively outnumber white voters.
Five of six Democratic incumbents drawn into contested districts were Black or Hispanic.
Republican Defense: More Minority Districts, But Critics Disagree
Texas Republicans maintain the map is fair and even creates three new districts: one Hispanic-majority and two Black-majority. However, critics call these new districts “cosmetic,” arguing that minority majorities are too slim to overcome higher white voter turnout.
Legal Background: Partisan Gerrymandering Allowed, Racial Gerrymandering Is Not
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that partisan gerrymandering is a political issue and not subject to federal court review. But racial gerrymandering remains unconstitutional, which formed the core of the court’s decision to block the Texas map.
What’s Next: Texas Likely to Use 2021 Map for 2026
With this ruling, Texas is expected to revert to the 2021 congressional map — the one used in the last election — unless it can redraw the districts in compliance with federal law.
The case will continue to trial, but the judges’ decision suggests that the plaintiffs have a strong chance of ultimately winning their case.
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