Federal Court Delivers a Big Blow to GOP Prospects for Holding the House
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A three-judge federal panel ruled that the redrawn Texas congressional redistricting map was “racial gerrymandering” and ordered the state to use 2021 maps for the midterm elections.
Sinceit’safederalvotingrightscase,theonlyappealistotheSupremeCourt.It’sunclearwhetherthehighcourtwillhavetimetorulebeforethe2026primaryfilingdeadlinenextmonth.
“Anyclaimthatthesemapsarediscriminatoryisabsurdandunsupportedbythetestimonyofferedduringtendaysofhearings,”RepublicanGov.GregAbbott,aRepublican,saidinastatement.“ThisrulingisclearlyerroneousandunderminestheauthoritytheU.S.ConstitutionassignstotheTexasLegislaturebyimposingadifferentmapbyjudicialedict.”
Texasstatelawallowsforpartisangerrymandering.Republicansclaimedthatthemapwasbeingredrawntogivethemapartisanadvantageandto“betterreflectTexans’conservativevotingpreferences–andfornootherreason,”saidthegovernor.TheSupremeCourtruledin2019thatthecourtscouldn
