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The US Supreme Court on Thursday renewed the red electoral map designed to add US Republicans, strengthening President Donald Trump to control Congress in the 2026 elections.
The Supreme Court, with its conservative 6-6 majority, ruled in a 2-1 decision that the map may have been discriminatory in violation of US constitutional protections.
“The District Court improperly interfered with an active campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the state’s delicate balance in elections,” the justices said in a brief explaining the decision.
Regeneration usually occurs to reflect population changes as measured by national censuses conducted every ten years. This year there has been a reproduction of the maps in several areas led by Republicans who were inspired by the unique advantage and driven by President Donald Trump.
Gerry Mandering – the redrawing of district boundaries to dilute a certain set of voters and increase the influence of others – is illegal if it is primarily driven by race. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law and the 15th Amendment prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
The Supreme Court in a 2019 ruling said that grymandering cannot be challenged in federal courts.
Texas Democrats This summer held a two-week campaign to protect Republicans from passing the Republicans to re-pass the renewal law – including the time frame – but in the end they do not have the numbers to stop its doubts.
The justices considered separately from Louisiana that it could limit districts based on race under section 2 of the Landmark Voting Act of 1965, which expands the franchise to millions of Americans.
Reconstruction is expected to continue in several states
Republicans currently hold slim margins in both chambers of Congress. CEDING control of the House or Senate to the Democtars in November 2026 would jeopardize Trump’s legislative agenda and open the door to a democratically-led investigation.
Representation in the house of 435 seats is based on population. California, the most populous state, has the most house members with 52, while Texas is second with 38. Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas’ 38 seats in Texas.
Democratic-controlled California responded to the Texas Redistribution by launching its own effort to target five Republican-held states in the state. California voters in November overwhelmingly approved a new map that benefits Democrats.
Republicans in the Indiana State House of Representatives are expected Friday to approve a new map targeting only two members of the Democratic base in the House. It’s not clear whether the map has enough support to get past the Republican-controlled senate?
Other states including Republican-led North Carolina, Missouri and Florida and Democratic-led Virginia and Maryland have passed new maps or are considering doing so.
Redrawn maps face court challenges in California and Miskouri. A three-judge panel allowed North Carolina’s new map to be used in the 2026 election.
Judge appointed by Trump
The Supreme Court majority doubted the court finding that race played a role in the new map, but acknowledged the “intentions” of the Texas Republican Party.
Justice Kagalice Elena Kagan criticized the majority of the Court, saying it was in contempt of the lower court’s duty.
“We are a higher court than the District Court, but we are no better when it comes to making decisions based on fact,” Kagan wrote, joining Justices Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In recognition of the Republicans in the State, the Texas House of Famesters passed the renewal map on Wednesday after the return of Texas Democrats who were absent from the Capitol for two weeks. Now, Democrats are barred from leaving the capitol without signing a permission slip and agreeing to be watched by a police raider. Some of them are protesting the new laws. Texas Democratic Rep. Mihaela Plesa joins power and politics to discuss.
The court’s stay, the court’s argument continued, “ensures that most Texas citizens, without good reason, will be placed in electoral districts because of their race. And that comes from the Constitution.”
US District Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, upheld the Court’s decision in El Paso Superior Court on November 2
“It is true, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 map,” Brown wrote. “But it was more than just politics. The overwhelming evidence shows that Texas is racially grymanded by 2025.”
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was very happy on Thursday, saying that the map “reflects the political climate of our state and all the tiredness of watching political cases.”
Democrats in Texas expressed outrage.
“The Supreme Court has failed the voters of Texas Today, and they have failed American democracy. This is what the end of the VOTING RELT looks like:” said Gene Wu, the minority leader of the Democratic House of Representatives.
