By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
AUSTIN – In a win for Texas Republicans the US Supreme Court has approved the states recent redrawn congressional maps.
Last month the lower court ruled that the maps were racially gerrymandered, but the majority of the Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling disagreed.
Until the Supreme Court ruling last week, the district court had said no to the state’s new map. The reason behind the ruling was that Texas had possibly redistricted based on race, which is an unlawful practice termed gerrymandering.
However, many continually point out gerrymandering has been taking place for years on both sides of the aisle.
The prediction based on the redistricted maps this time around is that Republicans will gain five additional seats in the November 2026 mid-terms.
Justice Elena Kagan was against the Supreme Court’s decision stating it slighted the work of the lower court. It was also reminded that the district court’s ruling against the new Texas congressional map had been authored by a Trump-appointed judge.
As for what the Supreme Court’s opinion was on the matter of the district court’s ruling “The district court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections.”
Texas Attorney General, Republican Ken Paxton said of the court’s ruling “Texas is paving the way as we take our country back, district by district, state by state. This map reflects the political climate of our state and is a massive win for Texas and every conservative who is tired of watching the left try to upend the political system with bogus lawsuits.”
The NAACP civil rights group commented in a statement after the Supreme Court ruling “The state of Texas is only 40% white, but white voters control over 73% of the state’s congressional seats.”
That number, however, is not accurate according to World Population Review who reported in 2025 “The racial composition of Texas includes 53.93% White, 12.23% Black or African American, 8.57% other race, 5.34% Asian, and smaller percentages for Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial populations.”
It is important to state Hispanics are part of the 53.93% white group.
Texas Legislative Black Caucus Chair Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins said of the Supreme Court ruling “While we are disappointed in the Court’s decision to reinstate the 2025 maps, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus will not relent in the fight to protect fair representation for all Texans. This ruling underscores the urgent need for continued vigilance, organizing, and advocacy to confront racial gerrymandering in every form. We remain steadfast in defending the voting rights and political power of Black communities across this state.”
The Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chair Rep. Ramón Romero Jr. added “This decision shuts out millions of Texans from the most powerful seats in Congress. There is no question this map was drawn to take power away from our communities. The Supreme Court did not erase that truth; it allowed it to shape our next election. Latino and Black voters are being punished for how we vote, plain and simple. And make no mistake — this is bigger than Texas.
While this most recent Texas redistricting issue was brought to the forefront this past summer when Democratic Texas House Representatives left the state to avoid voting on the new congressional maps, the move did little good and the redistricted maps were ultimately approved and now made final by the Supreme Court’s ruling.
In 2019 the Supreme Court ruled gerrymandering for partisan reasons is not allowed to be challenged in federal courts.
The 14th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution does make gerrymandering due to issues regarding race unconstitutional guaranteeing equal protection under the law and the 15th Amendment prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
