The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Texas to retain its existing congressional boundaries for the 2026 elections, pausing a lower court ruling that found the map likely discriminated against Black and Hispanic voters. The decision, issued late on November 21, 2025, means the state will proceed with the same district configuration used in recent election cycles while an appeal moves forward.
The dispute centers on a map approved by the Texas Legislature in 2021. Last week, a three-judge federal panel concluded that the district layout likely violated the Voting Rights Act by weakening the influence of minority voters in several metropolitan regions, including Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The panel ordered lawmakers to craft a revised version by mid-January and planned a full trial on the map’s legality for March 2025.
Texas quickly asked the Supreme Court to intervene, arguing that the lower court’s order risked creating confusion so close to the start of the next election cycle. State officials insisted that the map is lawful and contended that the ruling forced an abrupt and impractical redistricting process. Attorney General Ken Paxton led the emergency request for a stay.
The Supreme Court granted the request in a brief, unsigned order. Justice Samuel Alito initially received the application and referred it to the full Court, which agreed to put the lower court’s directive on hold. No dissents were noted.
Civil rights groups and individual voters who challenged the map have argued that the boundaries were drawn to diminish the political strength of minority communities through tactics often described as packing and cracking. They maintain that the map was intentionally crafted to favor Republican candidates across several competitive districts.
With the stay in place, Texas will continue using its current congressional districts for at least the 2026 elections. The case is expected to continue through the appeals process and could return to the Supreme Court for a final decision after voters head to the polls. This is the second time the Court has stepped in to preserve the map, having halted a separate lower-court order.
