Supreme Court temporarily reinstates Texas redistricting map in potential win for Republicans

The United States Supreme Court on Friday night temporarily blocked a lower court order that found Texas’ 2026 congressional redistricting map was likely unconstitutional because it was likely racially gerrymandered.

The order was signed by Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees emergency appeals from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and will remain in place for at least a few days while the court considers whether to allow the new map to be used in the midterms.

The late night order comes hours after Texas filed its emergency appeal, asking it to take up its redistricting case.

A panel of federal judges ruled Tuesday that Texas Republicans must use its 2021 congressional map, declaring that the state legislature likely racially gerrymandered the one passed this summer.

The emergency filing asked the Supreme Court to place a hold on Tuesday's ruling, and Alito ordered civil rights groups challenging the new map to respond to Texas’ request by Monday afternoon, according to Politico. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who filed the emergency appeal with Texas Solicitor General William Peterson, claimed liberal activists are trying to "steal the U.S. House for Democrats." 

“Texas engaged in partisan redistricting solely to secure more Republican seats in Congress and thereby better represent our state and Texans," Paxton said in a statement. "For years, Democrats have aggressively gerrymandered their states and only cry foul and hurl baseless ‘racism’ accusations because they are losing.” 

The appeal asks the Supreme Court to approve an immediate administrative stay, with a longer-term stay by Dec. 1. The state's filing deadline for its congressional races is Dec. 8.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.