Federal Judges Rule Texas Can't Use New Map In Midterm Elections
This is a really big deal, since it means Texas may not benefit from their lopsided map -- and California's new map will remain. The judges issued a blistering opinion that attacked the incompetence of the plaintiffs lawyers. What was really interesting about this decision is that the judges took careful steps to block off any possible rationale by SCOTUS that could overturn it. Via the Downballot:
A three-judge federal court blocked Texas from using its new Republican-drawn congressional districts in a stunning ruling on Tuesday, ordering the state to conduct its elections next year under its previous map.
Republicans immediately filed an appeal, which would be heard directly by the Supreme Court. Should Tuesday’s ruling stand, however, it would halt the GOP’s plan to target five House seats held by Democrats.
And by triggering a response in blue states—most notably California—Republicans could see their nationwide push for mid-decade redistricting backfire on them in the 2026 midterms, since Democrats may come out ahead in the gerrymandering arms race that the GOP instigated at Donald Trump’s urging.
Texas’ bid to please Trump ran aground, wrote U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown in a 160-page opinion, because lawmakers improperly divided voters between districts based on their race. That practice, known as racial gerrymandering, violates the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.