A U.S. Supreme Court decision on Thursday allows Texas' mid-decade congressional redistricting map, which was adopted this summer, to be used for the 2026 midterm elections. But it does not necessarily ensure the controversial Republican-backed map will remain in effect beyond that point.

Charles "Rocky" Rhodes, a constitutional law professor at the University of Missouri, described the ruling as "a preliminary determination that would allow the maps to go into effect for 2026, but it would not be a situation in which that necessarily blesses the maps for future use in future elections in 2028 and beyond. ... After 2030, we would need to do a redistricting after the next census anyway."

In setting aside a federal district court's ruling that blocked Texas' new map from taking effect,

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