Texas appeals ruling that blocked the use of a Trump-backed voting map : NPR
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has appealed a ruling that blocked the state from using a voting map designed to give Republicans an advantage in next year’s midterm elections.
TO MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
A federal court in Texas has dealt a major blow to President Trump’s efforts to reshape the midterm elections in favor of Republicans. A panel of three judges on Tuesday blocked the redistricting adopted this summer by Texas Republicans. Their goal was to improve the Republican Party’s chances of winning five additional seats in the House of Representatives, where Republicans have only a narrow majority. We’ll talk more about it. We’re joined by Andrew Schneider from Houston Public Media. So, Andrew, Texas Republicans said they’re drawing new maps to gain political advantage in next year’s elections. What did the court say about this?
ANDREW SCHNEIDER, BYLINE: Well, the court didn’t accept the Republicans’ arguments that they were engaging solely in partisan gerrymandering, which would have been legal. They call it racial gerrymandering. The justices noted that Gov. Greg Abbott and state lawmakers did not begin the redistricting process until Abbott received a letter from the Trump administration presenting Trump’s redistricting request, quote, “as a request to redistrict congressional seats based on their racial composition.” The judges said the plaintiffs, who included several civil rights groups, were likely to prove at trial that Texas racially rigged the 2025 map, which is illegal. So they issued an injunction against its use in the 2026 midterms. Texas Republican leaders have already appealed a decision directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, so we haven’t heard the last word.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. President Trump requested redistricting there, and his Justice Department wrote this letter. However, this seemed to backfire.
SCHNEIDER: Exactly. The justices said the DOJ got the case law on which it called for redefinition of districts completely wrong. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown wrote the opinion yesterday. He was appointed by President Trump during his first term. He focused on the Justice Department letter that triggered redistricting, even the way it was worded. He said there were typos and legal errors. He said even attorneys employed by the Texas attorney general described the letter as legally unsound, baseless, erroneous, clumsy and messy.
MARTÍNEZ: And there was a lot of reaction from both sides. Can you give us a sample?
SCHNEIDER: Yeah. Democrats say they are delighted. I spoke to Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, who represents a Houston district that was largely left untouched by redistricting, but she said the plan hurts voters in every Texas district.
LIZZIE FLETCHER: Every Texan should support this decision to ensure that Texans, all of us, have the opportunity to make our voices heard and vote meaningfully at the polls.
SCHNEIDER: And on the other side, we have Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has said that any claim that the maps are discriminatory is absurd. He called the decision wrong and approached the Supreme Court.
MARTÍNEZ: California’s answer to Texas redistricting was Proposition 50. It was passed by voters earlier this month. He faces his own legal battle, with his first court date set for December 3. But, Andrew, I mean, so far it looks like Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, is going to move forward.
SCHNEIDER: Yeah. Usually, states do redistricting at the beginning of the decade when a census is taken, but now, because of Trump, a redistricting race is happening across the country. California has already responded to Texas by drawing maps designed to help Democrats win five seats there. Missouri and North Carolina were redistricted to the Republicans. That process is underway and could determine who leads the House in 2027, and Democrats will be able to check Trump’s agenda.
MARTÍNEZ: Very good. This is Andrew Schneider from Houston Public Media. Thank you very much, Andrew.
SCHNEIDER: You’re welcome.
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