Federal court blocks Texas from using new congressional map

AUSTIN, Texas - A federal court blocked Texas on Tuesday from using a recently passed congressional map.

The three-judge panel for the Western District of Texas court issued a preliminary injunction, saying that the 2026 midterm elections "shall proceed" using the map that the Texas Legislature enacted in 2021.

"The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics," U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown wrote in the 160-page ruling. "To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map. But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map."

Brown, an appointee of President Donald Trump, said that plaintiffs are likely to prove at trial that Texas racially gerrymandered the map passed this year.

Abbott, Paxton reactions

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott used a special legislative session to pass the map after Trump made public calls for the map to be redrawn.

In a statement, Abbott called the ruling "erroneous" and vowed to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

What they're saying:

"The Legislature redrew our congressional maps to better reflect Texans' conservative voting preferences – and for no other reason," Abbott said. "Any claim that these maps are discriminatory is absurd and unsupported by the testimony offered during ten days of hearings. This ruling is clearly erroneous and undermines the authority the U.S. Constitution assigns to the Texas Legislature by imposing a different map by judicial edict. The State of Texas will swiftly appeal to the United States Supreme Court."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging sitting U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 midterms, said in a statement that he expects the Supreme Court to upload the new Texas congressional map.

What they're saying:

"The radical left is once again trying to undermine the will of the people," Paxton said. "The Big Beautiful Map was entirely legal and passed for partisan purposes to better represent the political affiliations of Texas," said Attorney General Paxton. "For years, Democrats have engaged in partisan redistricting intended to eliminate Republican representation. Democratic states across the country, from California to Illinois to New York, have systematically reduced representation of Republican voters in their congressional delegations. But when Republicans respond in kind, Democrats rely on false accusations of racism to secure a partisan advantage. I will be appealing this decision to the Supreme Court of the United States, and I fully expect the Court to uphold Texas’s sovereign right to engage in partisan redistricting."

Democrat reactions

The other side:

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Texas State Rep. James Talarico and the Travis County Democratic Party all released statements reacting to the ruling.

What they're saying:

"To borrow from Mark Twain, the reports of my death, politically, are greatly exaggerated. This federal court order means that I have a renewed opportunity to continue serving the only town I have ever called home, as democracy faces greater challenges than at any point in my lifetime. CD-37, which I represent; CD-35, which Congressman Casar represents; and all other existing Texas congressional districts will remain unchanged for 2026. This is very good news for Texans, who deserve accessible and accountable representation. While Ken Paxton and Greg Abbott are appealing directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, I am hopeful about the final outcome, likely announced this month, since even a Trump-appointed trial judge ruled against this Trump racial gerrymander," Doggett said.

"Obviously, it took the court some time to provide such a detailed opinion, but that will make it all the stronger when it's ultimately reviewed by the Supreme Court," Doggett added.

Talarico, who is running in the U.S. Senate race for Sen. John Cornyn's seat, said, "My fellow Texas Democrats and I broke quorum to shine a national spotlight on Trump’s redistricting power grab. We inspired other states and millions of Americans to join the fight. Moments ago a federal court struck down his rigged map. This is why we fight back."

Travis County Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco's statement said, "The courts have ruled that Trump’s new gerrymandered Congressional maps are illegal. Trump’s maps
diluted the voice of communities of color, and were a power grab by a President scared of losing the U.S House. This decision is a win for Texas and affirms that Travis County should continue to have two Democratic Congressional Districts."

How it started

The backstory:

President Donald Trump began calls for Texas to redraw its congressional map in the summer, saying he would like for Republicans to gain five seats through a midterm redistricting effort in the state.

The proposed changes mostly impacted Democrat-held districts in the state's major metropolitan areas.

The Justice Department accused Texas of illegally gerrymandering four of the targeted Democratic districts along racial lines. In response, Abbott made redistricting a special session priority, even though he and the Republican majority approved the maps that were already being used in 2021.