The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated a redrawn Texas congressional map designed to favor Republicans, a move that could help President Donald Trump’s party maintain control of the House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The map, approved in August by the Republican-led state legislature and signed by Governor Greg Abbott, had been blocked by a lower court that found it likely violated constitutional protections by discriminating based on race.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority, including three Trump appointees, lifted the lower court’s block, saying it had overstepped its role and disrupted the balance of federal and state election authority. The ruling could shift up to five Democratic-held House seats to Republicans. Texas Democrats condemned the decision as an attack on democracy, while the court’s three liberal justices dissented, warning that the map unfairly disadvantaged minority voters. The ruling comes as other states, including California and Indiana, consider or implement new congressional maps, highlighting an ongoing national struggle over partisan and racial gerrymandering in congressional redistricting.