SCOTUS reinforces ruling on Texas congressional map

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.

What we know:

In a short order issued Monday morning, a majority reversed the injunction issued by a lower court that stopped the new map from being used. The majority relied on their order issued in December that stayed the lower court’s injuction. 

Justices Sonya Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.

The backstory:

President Donald Trump urged Texas lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map to help Republicans maintain a majority in Congress during the midterm elections. The move was unusual, as most states redraw districts once a decade after the census.

The maps were challenged in court as racially gerrymandered – a claim with which a district court initially agreed.

However, that decision was reversed in December when the U.S. Supreme Court put a hold on the lower court’s injunction and allowed the maps to be used.

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

Dig deeper:

Since Texas adopted its new map, other states have also pursued redistricting efforts that could affect the balance of power in Congress.

California and Virginia, both Democrat-leaning states, have redrawn their maps in an effort to negate any gains Republicans make as a result of the new Texas map.

Indiana lawmakers opted to leave the configuration of its nine congressional districts as is after pressure from Trump to redraw the state’s maps.

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.