SCOTUS allows Texas to use redrawn congressional redistricting map favoring GOP

The Supreme Courtroom has signaled that Texas is more likely to prevail in defending its new congressional map, accusing a decrease courtroom of misinterpreting proof and ignoring required authorized inferences because the state rushes towards 2026 election deadlines.

In a short order that retains Gov. Greg Abbott’s redrawn districts in place in the interim, the courtroom mentioned the District Courtroom dedicated two main errors — first, by failing to use the Legislature’s presumption of fine religion when contemplating disputed proof, and second, by refusing to succeed in a near-positive conclusion towards challengers who didn’t provide an alternate map that met Texas’ partisan goals.

The reprieve is momentary whereas the deserves proceed, however Justice Elena Kagan warned in dissent that the ruling successfully locks within the disputed limits for the 2026 midterms resulting from looming state deadlines.

“This Courtroom’s eagerness to play district courtroom right here has critical penalties,” Kagen mentioned. “The bulk calls the ‘analysis’ of this case ‘preliminary’. Nonetheless, the outcomes can be something however.

DOJ SUPPORTS TEXAS IN SUPREME COURT BATTLE OVER REPUBLICAN MAP

Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote a letter on January 30 directing state company heads to observe state and federal regulation on gender points. (Brandon Bell/Getty Pictures)

“This Courtroom’s keep ensures that the brand new map of Texas, with all its improved partisan benefit, will decide subsequent yr’s elections for the Home of Representatives. And this Courtroom’s keep ensures that many Texas residents can be positioned, with out good motive, into voting districts due to their race,” Kagen continued. “And that end result, as this Courtroom has dominated yr after yr, is a violation of the Structure.”

The ruling comes amid a broader, unprecedented nationwide redistricting battle, fueled by present incumbent President Donald Trump’s efforts to cement the Republican Home majority in 2026 — a marketing campaign that started in Texas earlier than rapidly spreading to different states.

Aiming to keep away from what occurred throughout his first time period within the White Home when Democrats regained the bulk within the Home of Representatives within the 2018 midterm elections, Trump in June first floated the thought of ​​a uncommon however not unprecedented redistricting of Congress in the course of the last decade.

ABBOTT SIGNS TEXAS REDISTRIBUTION MAP INTO LAW, ASSURING GOP’S BIG VICTORY BY 2026 INTERIM

Republican Senator Phil King exhibits a map throughout a public testimony listening to of the Particular Committee on Congressional Redistricting on August 7, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Pictures)

The mission was easy: redraw the district maps of crimson states to strengthen the razor-thin majority within the Home of Representatives and thus keep management of the Chamber in the course of the 2026 midterm elections, when the celebration in energy historically faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Texas was Trump’s first goal.

A month later, when reporters requested him about his plan so as to add Republican seats within the Home of Representatives nationwide, the president mentioned, “Texas would be the largest. And there can be 5.’

Republican Governor Greg Abbott of Texas known as a particular session of the Republican Get together-dominated state legislature to approve the brand new map. Democratic lawmakers broke quorum for 2 weeks once they fled Texas in an effort to delay passage of the redistricting invoice.

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Governor Greg Abbott is seen on November 14, 2025 in Midlothian, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Pictures)

The Legislature in the end handed the invoice, and Abbott signed it into regulation in late August.

However the brand new map instantly confronted authorized challenges, and the destiny of Texas lawmakers who fled the state energized Democrats throughout the nation.

Amongst those that jumped into the battle towards Trump’s redistricting was Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California.

California voters a month in the past overwhelmingly handed Proposition 50, a poll initiative that can quickly sideline the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting fee and return the ability to return congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated Legislature.

That’s anticipated to lead to 5 extra Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter Texas’ transfer to redraw its maps.

REAGAN APPOINTED JUDGE LISTS COLLEAGUES IN TEXAS MAP FIGHT

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks throughout an election night time press convention on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at a California Democratic Get together workplace in Sacramento, California. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Picture)

However the battle has unfold past Texas and California.

Proper-leaning Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as a part of the president’s push. The legislature in red-leaning Indiana is assembly this week to attempt to approve redistricting, whereas Florida and Kansas are additionally contemplating redrawing their maps.

“We should keep the bulk in any respect prices,” Trump wrote on social media final month.

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Illinois and Maryland, two blue states, and Virginia, the place Democrats management the legislature, are additionally taking steps or significantly contemplating redistricting.

And in a blow to Republicans, a district decide in Utah final month rejected a congressional district map drawn by the state’s Republican Get together-dominated legislature, as a substitute approving an alternate that can create a Democratic-leaning district forward of the 2026 midterm elections.