Texas will use its newly redrawn congressional districts in the 2026 elections after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that had blocked the map, marking a major turning point in the state’s mid-decade redistricting battle.
The decision came after Ken Paxton appealed a federal district court order that barred the map’s use. The high court granted a summary reversal, allowing the map — signed into law in August — to remain in place for the 2026 midterms.
Texas had already been operating under the map on a temporary basis since November, when the justices indicated the state was likely to succeed. Monday’s ruling solidifies that position and halts, for now, a broader legal challenge brought by civil rights groups.
State leaders pursued the unusual mid-cycle redraw last summer following encouragement from Donald Trump, with the goal of strengthening Republicans’ narrow majority in the U.S. House. The revised map was designed to produce as many as five additional GOP-leaning seats.
The effort drew sharp opposition from Democrats, including a quorum break in the Texas House that temporarily stalled the process. Lawmakers eventually returned, allowing the map to pass and prompting immediate lawsuits alleging the districts discriminate against minority voters.
In November, U.S. District Judge Jeff Brown found “substantial evidence” of racial gerrymandering in a decision joined by Judge David Guaderrama. The ruling was sharply criticized by Jerry Smith of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who called it the “most blatant exercise of judicial activism” he had witnessed.
Three justices — Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson — dissented from both the earlier stay and Monday’s ruling.
Paxton praised the decision, calling it a validation of the state’s redistricting process.
“Radical left-wing groups attempted to sabotage Texas’s lawful redistricting efforts, but the Supreme Court’s ruling is a clear rejection of these meritless attacks and a victory for the rule of law,” Paxton said. “Texas’s congressional map is lawful, constitutional, and reflects the will of our citizens, and I will continue to aggressively defend its use ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.”
Democrats offered a sharply different view. Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said the ruling undermines voting protections.
“The Supreme Court did not protect the Constitution today. It protected Greg Abbott’s racist map and gave Donald Trump exactly what he demanded from Texas Republicans: stolen seats, weaker Black and Latino voting power, and a rigged path to keep control of Congress,” Wu said, referring to Greg Abbott.
Wu added that Democrats’ earlier quorum break helped draw national attention to the issue.
“As much as this decision stings, Greg Abbott should not confuse this ruling for a victory,” he said. “When we broke quorum last year, Texas House Democrats forced his power grab into the open. Now, California and Virginia have answered and leveled the playing field, and Democrats across the country are still fighting back. Trump and Abbott may have found six justices willing to excuse this scheme — he has not found a way to make it right, nor a way to win.”
The dispute reflects ongoing tensions dating back to Texas’ 2021 redistricting cycle, which also faced legal challenges over claims of minority vote dilution while maintaining Republican advantages.
At the state level, those earlier maps largely preserved districts such as Senate District 24, which includes Bandera County and is represented by Pete Flores. While its boundaries shifted to reflect growth near Bexar County, the district remained solidly Republican.
Whether the new congressional map delivers the gains Republicans are seeking remains uncertain. Some districts were drawn based on Latino voters’ movement toward the GOP in 2024, though analysts say that trend may be softening. At the same time, states such as California and Virginia have adopted maps aimed at boosting Democratic representation, potentially offsetting any gains in Texas.
Republican leaders welcomed the ruling. State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston, who is running for attorney general, celebrated the decision on social media.
“The Big Beautiful Map stands!” Middleton wrote. “I’m proud to have fought to make this law and now let’s go elect those five additional Republican congressional seats we drew.”
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