A federal three-judge panel has blocked Texas from using its recently passed congressional map for the 2026 election, ordering the state to revert to the 2021 district lines. The ruling marks a major setback for Republicans, who had pushed for the mid-decade redistricting in hopes of increasing their U.S. House representation from 25 to roughly 30 seats .

Civil rights groups challenged the map, arguing it diluted the voting power of Black and Hispanic communities. The court found substantial evidence that the 2025 map amounted to racial gerrymandering, violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the U.S. Constitution (AP News, 2025). The map had reduced the number of districts where minorities form a majority and eliminated several coalition districts, raising concerns about fair repre

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