Court blocks new Texas Congressional map, appeal to Supreme Court expected

A panel of federal judges in Texas on Tuesday blocked the state’s new GOP-favored House map from being used ahead of the 2026 midterms by declaring it a likely racial gerrymander, dealing a blow to Republicans who have looked to net extra seats.

In a 2-1 vote, the panel ordered Texas Republicans to use the congressional lines they had in place before they redistricted earlier this year. The new map would have offered Republicans up to five pickup opportunities in the House in 2026.  

“The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics,” U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown wrote for the majority. “To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map,” he continued. “But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map.” 

The ruling leaves Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and state Republicans free to appeal to the Supreme Court, something that is likely to happen. Appointed to the bench by President Trump, Brown was joined by U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, an appointee of former President Obama. 

U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry Smith, an appointee of former President Reagan, dissented. His opinion was not immediately filed on the public docket. The ruling is a significant defeat for Republicans, who moved to redraw the Texas map earlier this year.

That move kicked off a national redistricting arms race, with California Democrats quickly moving to counter the Texas GOP with a further gerrymander of the state’s already gerrymandered congressional lines.

The Texas map, which would have offered the GOP up to five pickup opportunities next year, was the first one that Republicans were able to successfully redraw and pass ahead of 2026. Republicans have also passed new maps in Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, though litigation could potentially halt new maps elsewhere. 

The end result of the redistricting arms race between the two parties is still unclear. But this ruling in Texas tells us that we can’t be sure of anything.