The court blocked a change to the Texas congressional map that made the shape of five districts more favorable to Republicans. The judges found that the plan appears to be illegal gerrymandering carried out along racial lines.
The court ordered Texas authorities to rely on the borders drawn by lawmakers in 2021. The new map, two of the three judges said, is unconstitutional and was drawn at the urging of the Trump administration.
The decision is a huge blow to the White House's push to redistrict voting across the country. The additional five Texas seats would be the largest gain Republicans would gain from redrawing the maps. On Tuesday, Texas appealed the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The court also repeatedly criticized the Justice Department's efforts to get Texas to focus on four nonwhite-majority districts. According to the court, the department selected them “entirely on the basis of their racial composition,” which convinced Texas Republicans to mount extraordinary redistricting efforts.
The White House and Justice Department have not yet responded to a request for comment. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office in a statement rejected the ruling and the suggestion that the newly drawn maps are unfair or biased.
Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, during his visit to Washington, March 20, 2025.EPA/BONNIE CASH / POOL / PAP
“Any claim that these maps are discriminatory is true absurd and unsupported by the testimony given during 10 days of hearings” it said. “This ruling is patently erroneous and undermines the authority that the United States Constitution ascribes to the Texas Legislature by imposing a different map by judicial edict.”
The court also downplayed the notion that eliminating Texas' new maps would lead to chaos in next year's midterm elections. Although it admitted that this could change the calculations of some candidates who announced their participation in the elections based on the new map, the court emphasized that application deadlines have not passed yet.
However, the deadline for submitting candidacies – December 8 – is fast approaching. Courts and state election officials are typically reluctant to extend deadlines, but they can do so if necessary.
Fun with the map. The parties compete with each other in ideas
Missouri and North Carolina have adopted maps that are expected to give Republicans one additional seat each. Democrats, who have long looked to the courts as a way to thwart Republican gerrymandering attempts, filed lawsuits in both states.
In Ohio, which was legally required to redraw its maps this year, Republicans and Democrats managed to reach an agreement. Two districts represented by Democrats have become more conservative, but they claim that in 2026 they will still have a chance there.
The article continues below the video
Without changing the Texas map, the Democrats' success in essentially securing an additional five seats in California fully thwarts the Republicans' gains to date. The White House is pushing other conservative states to take up the issue before next year's congressional elections.
The decision will likely put even more pressure on Republicans in Indiana, who are being asked to draw a new map that would give the party two more seats. So far, Speaker Rodric Bray, interim president of the Indiana state senate, he has resisted calls to change maps in his state.
Lawmakers reluctant to gerrymandering face primary elections threatened by the White House. After Bray said his caucus didn't have enough votes to pass the new map, President Donald Trump wrote on social media that Republican Gov. Mike Braun “must make up his mind.”
The Texas ruling is the latest chapter in a tumultuous saga. In August, Democrats left the state in an attempt to stop the new map from being passed. On Tuesday, politicians who led the effort praised the court's decision. “Greg Abbott and his Republican cronies tried to silence the voices of Texans to please Donald Trump, but now they have given him absolutely nothing,” said Gene Wu, the Democratic minority leader in the Texas Legislature.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
