Supreme Court Permits Texas to Use Disputed Congressional Map for 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Texas may use its current congressional district map for the 2026 elections. The decision pauses a lower court's finding that the map likely violates federal law against racial discrimination. The Court's order, issued on Thursday, did not explain the reasoning. The justices split 6-3 along ideological lines, granting a request from Texas Republican officials. A federal district court had previously ruled that the map likely diluted the voting power of Black and Hispanic communities. That court ordered Texas to draw a new map before the next election cycle. The Supreme Court's action now allows elections to proceed under the contested map while the legal challenge continues. The map was enacted by the state's Republican-led legislature in 2021.