A federal court in Texas issued a ruling on August 20, 2025, blocking the state's proposed congressional map, which aimed to convert several Democratic-held U.S. House seats to Republican control in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The court's decision, rendered by a three-judge panel, found that Governor Greg Abbott had directed the legislature to draw the map with racial considerations, which is in violation of constitutional protections against racial discrimination in voting.

The ruling came as a significant setback for Texas Republicans, who had been encouraged by former President Donald Trump to redraw the congressional boundaries to secure a greater number of Republican seats and maintain their narrow majority in the U.S. House. The proposed map had the potential to shift as many as five Democratic-held seats to Republican control, igniting a broader national debate over partisan redistricting practices.

The judicial panel, based in El Paso, ruled in favor of civil rights organizations that challenged the map, stating that there was substantial evidence of racial gerrymandering. Gerrymandering refers to the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to disadvantage specific voter groups while enhancing the influence of others. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has prohibited federal courts from intervening in partisan gerrymandering cases, racial gerrymandering remains illegal.

The court's findings indicated that Abbott's actions were influenced by a letter from Trump's Justice Department, which made legally incorrect claims and threatened legal repercussions if the map was not adjusted to align with its recommendations. The court criticized the Texas legislature for adopting racial objectives in the redistricting process, undermining the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Democratic lawmakers and civil rights advocates in Texas contended that the new map would further dilute the voting power of racial minorities, a concern underscored by the NAACP, which highlighted that white voters, who make up only 40% of the state's population, control over 73% of its congressional seats. In response to the ruling, Governor Abbott described the claims of discrimination as unfounded and announced plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

As a result of the ruling, the 2026 congressional elections will proceed using a previously approved map from 2021, under which Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas's 38 U.S. House seats. This decision is part of a larger trend, as Republican-led states, including Indiana, have faced challenges in their redistricting efforts, while Democratic-led states like California have initiated their own redistricting processes to counteract Republican advantages.