Texas files emergency Supreme Court petition after Trump-backed congressional map blocked by federal judges

Texas on Friday filed an emergency petition with the U.S. Supreme Court after a ruling by a panel of federal judges blocked the state from using its redrawn congressional map, calling it “racially gerrymandered.”

Shortly after filing the petition, Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay, temporarily putting the lower panel’s decision blocking Texas’ new maps on hold.

The state asked the high court for an administrative stay on the lower court ruling, noting Texas has an “election already in progress,” referring to congressional primary elections in March.

The Supreme Court most recently blocked lower court rulings related to redistricting cases in Louisiana and Alabama.

Texas redrew its congressional map last summer in a President Donald Trump-backed effort that could help Republicans gain five seats in next year’s midterms.

REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK OVER ‘FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM’ IN BLOCKBUSTER REDISTRICTING FIGHT

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump appointee, joined by U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, an Obama appointee, in the majority ruling said, “The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics.

“To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 map,” the judges said. “But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map.”

Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee and the third of the three-judge panel, dissented without explanation.

REPUBLICANS PROTEST DOUBLE STANDARD AFTER JUDGES CALL TEXAS REDISTRICTING PLAN ‘RACIALLY GERRYMANDERED’

The ruling was a significant blow to the Trump administration. It comes as Trump and his Republican allies have raced to pad the party’s razor-thin House majority in the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections, including by imploring some states to launch rare, mid-decade redistricting efforts. 

Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have redrawn their congressional maps as well, and other states like Florida and Kansas are weighing similar efforts.

Democratic states are also considering redrawing their maps to counteract Republican efforts.

Most prominently, California voters approved by a wide margin earlier this month a plan to redistrict the state in an effort that could wipe out Texas’ new map.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed on Tuesday to appeal to the Supreme Court.

“For years, Democrats have engaged in partisan redistricting intended to eliminate Republican representation,” Paxton said. “But when Republicans respond in kind, Democrats rely on false accusations of racism to secure a partisan advantage.”