“The public may view this case as purely political. Politics certainly plays a role in redistricting efforts. But politics is not the only factor here—there is evidence that Texas engaged in racial gerrymandering in its 2025 map,” U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown wrote in his November 18 decision.
The ruling prevents Texas from implementing the new map in next year’s midterm elections. Had it been allowed to stand, the map could have given Republicans at least five additional seats in the U.S. House. Judge Brown’s decision leaned heavily on arguments referenced in a Justice Department letter sent over the summer, which urged Texas to redraw the map and warned of legal action if the state failed to eliminate “coalition districts”—areas where nonwhite voters from multiple racial groups formed a majority, in keeping with the Voting Rights Act.
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Judge Brown, a Trump appointee, found that the Justice Department “misread the law” in claiming such districts were unconstitutional. Nevertheless, Texas’ decision to revise the map in response to the DOJ’s letter meant that “Gov. Greg Abbott directed the legislature to redraw districts based on race,” harming the rights of Black and Hispanic voters. Analysts say the ruling deals a blow to President Donald Trump, who had encouraged Texas Republicans to redraw the map in order to strengthen the party’s hold on the House.
Texas officials quickly appealed the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, as Gov. Abbott and other Republicans defended the map publicly. After each decennial census, states are required to redraw congressional boundaries to account for population shifts. Texas currently holds 38 House seats, with Republicans controlling 25, Democrats holding 12, and one seat vacant. Under the new map, Republicans were expected to expand their advantage to about 30 seats.
The GOP-led Texas legislature approved the map in August, despite Democratic lawmakers temporarily fleeing the state in an attempt to block the measure. Democrats in California have similarly redrawn districts under Proposition 50, approved by voters earlier this month, while North Carolina and Missouri have unveiled GOP-favored maps that are also facing legal challenges.
The Texas ruling all but guarantees that part of next year’s battle for control of the U.S. House will be fought in the courts.