Supreme Court Approves Texas Redrawn Congressional Map for 2026 Elections

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on April 27, 2026, reversed a lower court ruling and approved Texas’s newly redrawn congressional map, allowing it to remain in effect for the 2026 midterms and through the decade until the next census.

The map, enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in August 2025, was designed to strengthen GOP advantages and potentially add up to five Republican seats. It was drawn outside the normal decennial redistricting cycle at the urging of President Donald Trump to protect and expand the party’s narrow House majority.

A federal district court in El Paso blocked the map in November 2025, ruling it constituted racial gerrymandering. The Supreme Court granted Texas’s emergency request, finding the state is likely to succeed on the merits and that the lower court committed serious errors by interfering in an active election cycle.

Texas officials hailed the decision. A spokesperson for Gov. Abbott said: “Abbott is pleased that the Supreme Court reversed a poorly reasoned decision that halted Texas’ new congressional maps. The right legal answer was obvious. These maps better represent our constituents and allow more Texans to vote for the candidate of their choice. This is a victory for Texas voters, for common sense, and for the U.S. Constitution.”

Democrats criticized the ruling. State House Minority Leader Rep. Gene Wu called it protection of “Greg Abbott’s racist map” and accused the Court of giving Trump what he demanded.

The decision clears the way for the map to be used in the 2026 primaries and general election, providing certainty for candidates and voters after months of legal uncertainty. It also signals the Court’s reluctance to allow lower courts to disrupt election timelines with late challenges to state redistricting plans.