The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated Texas’s 2025 congressional map, overturning a prior ruling by a district court that had blocked the map on grounds of racial gerrymandering. The decision allows the Republican-drawn districts to apply for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The Court’s unsigned order referenced its own 2025 decision in Abbott v. League of United Latin American Citizens, which was described as controlling without providing further explanation. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed dissent.
The map was initially blocked in November 2025 by a three-judge federal panel following a detailed nine-day hearing. The panel’s findings, spanning over 160 pages, concluded that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on racial gerrymandering claims. It highlighted that the redrawing of six congressional districts in Texas primarily considered racial factors, violating both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments as well as the Voting Rights Act. Governor Greg Abbott had signed the contested map into law at the urging of then-President Donald Trump, aiming to alter five Democratic-held seats, notably in districts with significant minority populations.
Previously, the Supreme Court had temporarily reinstated the map in December 2025, suggesting that Texas might demonstrate improper application of a presumption of legislative good faith by the district court. There was also an issue with the plaintiffs failing to present a viable alternative map.
Reactions to the ruling were sharply divided. Damon Hewitt, leading the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, asserted that the decision “has added a profound insult to an already harmful injury,” criticizing the Trump administration’s role in urging Texas to disrupt majority-minority districts. On the other hand, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed the Supreme Court decision as a triumph for the state.
With this ruling, the map will dictate Texas’s congressional elections through at least 2026, though ongoing litigation regarding the state’s congressional boundaries persists. The case underscores ongoing tensions and complexities in the redistricting process, particularly concerning racial gerrymandering. Additional insights can be found in the recent coverage by NBC News.