In Texas case, it's politics vs. race at the Supreme Court, with control of Congress at stake

The Supreme Court might allow Texas to use its new GOP-friendly map for the 2026 election.

Federal judges blocked the new map from taking effect, ruling that it appeared to be unconstitutional.

WASHINGTON — The Texas redistricting case now before the Supreme Court turns on a question that often divides judges: Were the voting districts drawn based on politics, or race?

The answer, likely to come in a few days, could shift five congressional seats and tip political control of the House of Representatives after next year’s midterm elections.

Justice Samuel A. Alito, who oversees appeals from Texas, put a temporary hold on a judicial ruling that branded the newly drawn Texas voting map a “racial gerrymander.”

The state’s lawyers asked for a decision by Monday, noting that candidates