A federal three-judge panel has blocked Texas from using its recently passed congressional map for the 2026 election, ordering the state to revert to the 2021 district lines. The ruling marks a major setback for Republicans, who had pushed for the mid-decade redistricting in hopes of increasing their U.S. House representation from 25 to roughly 30 seats.

Civil rights groups challenged the map, arguing it diluted the voting power of Black and Hispanic communities. The court found substantial evidence that the 2025 map amounted to racial gerrymandering, violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the U.S. Constitution (AP News, 2025). The map had reduced the number of districts where minorities form a majority and eliminated several coalition districts, raising concerns about fair representation.

Harris County Attorney and candidate for Congress in Texas’s 18th District, Christian Menefee, reacted to the ruling, saying:
“Judges appointed by presidents of both political parties came together and confirmed what we already knew: this Trump-backed map was intentionally drawn to silence Black and Brown voters. That speaks volumes. This case is likely headed to the Supreme Court. I hope the Court stands on the side of the Constitution and protects voters of color instead of letting politicians gut democracy in broad daylight. This moment will define what democracy means in 2025.”

Amanda Edwards, also in a run-off for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, added:

"Instead of fighting for the needs of our communities, the Trump Administration and Governor Abbott tried to redraw the maps to silence voters and dilute the voting power of Black and Brown voters. We will not be silenced. I am grateful for the federal court ruling blocking the use of the racially gerrymandered maps, and I look forward to running in and serving the district I have always called home and have spent my career fighting for."

Several Texas Democratic leaders also praised the ruling:

• Texas House Minority Leader Rep. Gene Wu: “A federal court just stopped one of the most brazen attempts to steal our democracy that Texas has ever seen. Greg Abbott and his Republican cronies tried to silence Texans’ voices to placate Donald Trump, but now have delivered him absolutely nothing. The governor delayed relief for victims of the July 4th flooding in Kerr County, weaponized law enforcement against us, filed frivolous lawsuits to intimidate us, and still lost. Today, a federal court saw through Greg Abbott’s lies, and Texas families won.”
• Texas House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Mihaela Plesa: “Today, a federal court reminded Greg Abbott that our democracy is not negotiable. Texans didn’t ask for mid-decade redistricting, the White House did. The court finally saw through this unfair and illegal power grab and blocked them. This victory today belongs to every Texan who testified, who organized, who spoke truth to power and made this possible.”
• Texas House Redistricting Vice Chair Rep. Jon Rosenthal: “This is a monumental victory in the fight against racist gerrymandering in Texas and the country overall. This is a huge win for fair representation of Black and Latino communities. The work does not end here. We will continue to fight.”
• Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chair Rep. Ramón Romero, Jr.: “Today’s ruling is a win for every Texan who believes in fair representation. The court confirmed what we’ve said from the beginning — this map was designed to divide communities of color and silence their voices. This decision restores faith that the law still protects voters, not politicians.”
• Texas Legislative Black Caucus Chair Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins: “As Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, I’m excited about the ruling of the courts to deny the Republicans the ability to draw maps that not only hurt communities across Texas and confuse our constituents on who they will be voting for in 2026. The court made a great decision in denying such action. I’m pleased with this ruling.”

As a result of the ruling, Texas must use the older 2021 map for the upcoming election cycle unless the decision is overturned on appeal. The state is expected to challenge the ruling, potentially taking the case to the Supreme Court. The decision comes amid ongoing national debates over redistricting, partisan advantage, and minority voting rights