Federal judges block Texas from using redrawn congressional map

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A panel of three federal judges on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a new congressional map drawn by Republicans in hopes of securing the party additional seats in the 2026 midterm elections, ruling 2-1 that the map in question appeared to constitute an illegal, race-based gerrymander. 

"The public perception of this case is that it's about politics," U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump appointee, said in the majority opinion, joined by U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, an Obama appointee. 

"To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 map," the judges said. "But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map."

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Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 17, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee, dissented without explanation.

The 2-1 ruling comes after a nearly two-week trial in El Paso, Texas, and requires lawmakers in the Lone Star State to revert to an earlier congressional map that the state legislature had adopted in 2021.

The new congressional map in Texas would have redrawn five districts in the state to be more favorable to Republicans. 

The ruling is a significant blow to the Trump administration, which has urged Republican-led states to draw new congressional maps as part of an effort to retain the GOP's congressional majorities in the 2026 midterm elections.

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President Donald Trump speaks at the White House. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It also comes as part of a broader push by the Trump administration for Republican-led states to pass new redistricting maps in recent months, including in Missouri and North Carolina. 

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It is unclear whether the administration plans to appeal the case, though any challenge would be sent directly to the Supreme Court for review. 

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.