The Supreme Court revived Texas’ congressional map that sparked a mid-decade redistricting war by adding up to five Republican pickup opportunities, paving the way Thursday for it to be used for the midterm elections as litigation proceeds.
Over the dissents of the court’s three liberal justices, the majority said a lower court likely erred when invalidating the map as a likely racial gerrymander.
“The District Court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections,” the court wrote in its unsigned ruling.
It is not the high court’s final word, but it enables Texas to move ahead to its March primary under the new map as the state continues its appeal.
The war over Texas’ map started earlier this year when the White House and national Republicans pressed the Lone Star State to do mid-decade redistricting in an effort to net additional House seats as the GOP braces for a challenging midterm environment next year.
Texas Republicans passed their new House map over the summer, which gives them a handful of potential new pickup opportunities. The redistricting push in Texas immediately set off a national arms race as blue and red states alike began reconsidering new House maps in their own states.
