Texas Court Blocks Controversial Redistricting Plan

A federal court in Texas halted the use of a new congressional map favoring Republicans in upcoming elections. The decision, seen as a setback for Texas Republicans and Trump, found the map racially gerrymandered. The ruling mandates the use of the 2021 map for the 2026 elections.

In a significant legal development, a Texas federal court has blocked a new congressional map designed to shift Democratic-held U.S. House seats to Republican control for the approaching midterm elections. This ruling has dealt a critical blow to Texas Republicans and former President Donald Trump, who had advocated for redistricting to safeguard the GOP's slim majority in the U.S. House.

The three-judge panel's 2-1 decision favored civil rights groups, citing substantial evidence of racial gerrymandering in Texas's redistricting efforts. Consequently, the state will revert to its 2021 congressional map for the 2026 elections, where Republicans currently hold 25 out of 38 seats.

The contentious redistricting has stirred political tensions, with California initiating its own electoral boundary adjustments against Republican districts. This landscape underscores the national debate over redistricting practices, spotlighting their implications for partisan and racial representation in Congress.

(With inputs from agencies.)