Judge rules Texas can’t use new maps in blow to Trump’s redistricting plan

WASHINGTON — Texas won’t be able to use its new congressional map, adding five more Republican-leaning seats before the 2026 midterm elections, after a panel of federal judges ruled the boundaries amounted to an illegal race-based gerrymander.

On Tuesday, in a 2-1 ruling, the court ruled that the Lone Star State must instead use its previous map approved in 2021. The ruling deals a blow to the Trump administration, which has pushed GOP-led states to redraw their congressional maps before next November to ensure that Republicans can maintain their slim majority in Congress.

“The map ultimately passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor – the 2025 map – achieved all but one of the racial objectives required by the DOJ,” wrote U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump-appointed lawyer, for the majority of the panel.

Texas Republicans will likely appeal the decision, although the decision is already being praised by Democrats.

“Texas Republicans tried to rig the system, silence voters of color and divide communities they couldn’t win over outright. The court saw through it,” Rep. Julie Johnson, Democrat of Texas, whose seat shifted more Republican, said in a statement. “By rejecting these maps, the court ended a blatant power grab that would have deprived thousands of Texans of their representation.”

Although Texas’ initial five-seat gain was seen as a major victory for Republicans, it was quickly neutralized after California approved a ballot initiative in its November special election to adopt a new 2026 map with five additional Democratic-leaning seats, effectively negating Texas’ efforts.

President Donald Trump has since pushed other states to make their maps more palatable to Republicans. Some states like Missouri and North Carolina have already made adjustments to give Republicans the upper hand, although some of those changes are being challenged in court.

The move comes as a plurality of voters nationwide say they disapprove of state legislatures redrawing congressional boundaries to gain political advantage ahead of the midterm elections, according to a new Deseret News poll by Morning Consult. About 43% of registered voters say they disapprove, compared to 33% who say they approve of the practice.

Another 25% said they didn’t know.

Those numbers are even higher in Utah, where 44 percent of voters say they disapprove of the practice, compared to just 28 percent who say they approve, according to the poll. Another 27% said they didn’t know.

The poll was conducted between November 8 and 12, during which a Utah judge chose a new Beehive State map for next November, solidifying a heavily Democratic-leaning district.

Utah’s statewide poll surveyed 607 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The national survey contained responses from 1,745 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.