Supreme Court reinforces ruling allowing redrawn Texas congressional map

SCOTUS will allow Texas to use redrawn congressional map

The Supreme Court of the United States has decided to allow Texas to use their newly redrawn congressional map for the 2026 election.

AUSTIN, Texas - The U.S. Supreme Court has reinforced its prior decision allowing Texas to use a redrawn congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections, effectively ending legal challenges, for now, at a time of nationwide redistricting battles.

What we know:

In a short order issued Monday morning, a majority reversed the injunction issued by a lower court that had blocked the new map. The decision builds on the Supreme Court’s earlier move in December, when it temporarily allowed Texas to proceed with the map.

The latest ruling means the Republican-backed maps will remain in place for the 2026 election cycle.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, underscoring the ideological divide on the court.

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SCOTUS will allow Texas to use redrawn congressional map for 2026 election

The opinion, handed down Thursday evening, may allow the GOP to pick up five more seats in the upcoming election, strengthening a small majority in the House.

The backstory:

President Donald Trump had urged Texas lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional districts, an unusual move outside the typical once-per-decade redistricting cycle following the census, in an effort to bolster Republican power in Congress.

The maps were challenged in court as racially gerrymandered, and a lower court initially agreed. However, the Supreme Court intervened in December to pause that ruling, setting the stage for Monday’s decision.

U.S. Congressional District maps are displayed as the Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting meets to hear invited testimony on Congressional plan C2308 at the Texas State Capitol on August 6, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon

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The legal battle in Texas helped spark a broader national wave of redistricting, with both Republican- and Democratic-led states pursuing changes that could impact control of Congress.

Nationwide Ripple Effects

Dig deeper:

Following Texas’ move, several states have taken similar steps.

California and Virginia, both Democrat-leaning, have redrawn their maps in attempts to offset potential Republican gains. In Virginia, voters recently approved a new map designed to boost Democratic seats, though it is now facing challenges in the state’s Supreme Court.

In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled a new GOP-friendly map Monday, despite opposition from Democrats who argue it may violate state law.

Indiana lawmakers, meanwhile, declined to redraw their districts despite pressure to do so.

What they're saying:

Texas House Democrats voiced their displeasure with the high court's ruling in the following statement:

"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.

"As much as this decision stings, Greg Abbott should not confuse this ruling for a victory. 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."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that Monday's ruling is an extension of December's decision on the same case.