AP Photo/Eric Gay, file
FILE – A map of U.S Congressional Districts proposed plan is seen at a Texas legislators’ public hearing on congressional redistricting in Austin, Texas, Aug. 1, 2025.
Elected officials from Houston and across Texas were swift to react Tuesday after a federal court blocked a new congressional map passed by the state’s Republican lawmakers in a case that has major implications for voters in Southeast Texas.
The decision by a panel of three federal judges — two of whom were appointed by Republican presidents — is a blow to President Donald Trump’s explicit aim to flip five Democrat-held congressional districts into the Republican column. Texas’ mid-decade redistricting effort set off a multi-state arms race over control of the U.S. House of Representatives during the last two years of Trump’s second term.
Texas Republicans argued in court that the new map was drawn strictly for partisan purposes, but the judges in El Paso determined the redistricting intentionally targeted Black and Latino voters in a way that would dilute their voting power, violating the federal Voting Rights Act. Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, both Republicans, said the state will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sign up for the Hello, Houston! daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox.
“Any claim that these maps are discriminatory is absurd and unsupported by the testimony offered during ten days of hearings,” Abbott said in a statement. “This ruling is clearly erroneous and undermines the authority the U.S. Constitution assigns to the Texas Legislature by imposing a different map by judicial edict.”
The outcome of the case impacts representation in Washington for residents across the Houston area, where multiple congressional districts were redrawn by Texas Republicans. Among them were the 18th Congressional District, which has gone without representation since the March death of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, along with the 9th Congressional District and the 27th Congressional District, both of which are represented by Democrats of color.
Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, both Democrats, are vying to complete Turner’s term in Congress. A runoff in the special election is scheduled for Jan. 31.
The redistricting case determines which congressional map will be used for the 2026 elections, beginning with the primaries in early March.
“From the racist maps to delaying the vote in the 18th Congressional District, Greg Abbott and Republicans are playing games with our democracy,” Menefee said. “They know they cannot win fair elections, so they try to rig the system. But we see through it, and we will not stand for it.”
Added Edwards: “Instead of fighting for the needs of our communities, the Trump Administration and Governor Abbott tried to redraw the maps to silence voters and dilute the voting power of Black and Brown voters. We will not be silenced. I am grateful for the federal court ruling blocking the use of the racially gerrymandered maps.”
The 9th Congressional District is represented by U.S. Rep. Al Green, a Democrat who has said he would not seek re-election in a redrawn district. Instead, Green recently filed as a 2026 candidate for the 18th District. He said Tuesday he will wait for a Supreme Court ruling before making a final determination about his next campaign.
“But I will tell you this: I have been faithful to the people of the 9th Congressional District,” he said. “I will continue to be faithful to the people that I represent.”
The redraw this year by Texas Republicans shifted the 9th District to include Liberty County, a Republican stronghold. Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain, who represents the Deer Park area, is among those to announce candidacies in that district. He said Tuesday his campaign is moving “full steam ahead” and won’t be deterred by the ruling that “seeks to undermine the democratic process.”
“We are running under the lines lawfully passed by the Big Beautiful map and the courts will not thwart the will of Texas voters and their Representatives,” Cain said. “We are confident this temporary court obstruction will be swiftly overcome.”
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat representing the 27th Congressional District, had her district broken up under the redrawn map. Speaking on “Hello Houston,” Garcia said she was “elated” by Tuesday’s court ruling.
“We all spent much time, and we kept saying these are racially gerrymandered maps, and now the judge has agreed,” she said. “They, in fact, say substantial evidence, not just evidence, but substantial.”
Here’s what others are saying about the federal court’s ruling:
State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, Texas House Minority Leader
“A federal court just stopped one of the most brazen attempts to steal our democracy that Texas has ever seen. Greg Abbott and his Republican cronies tried to silence Texans’ voices to placate Donald Trump, but now have delivered him absolutely nothing.”
U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston
“The 2025 map should offend every Texan – no matter who they vote for – because it betrays the fundamental principle that Texans should have a say in our government.”
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat
“This map was designed to help Donald Trump consolidate power and avoid any checks on his lawlessness. It’s a partisan power grab engineered to tilt the election by silencing the very communities whose rights the Voting Rights Act was created to protect.”
State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a candidate for U.S. Senate
“This ensures that voters are picking their politicians instead of politicians picking their voters.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat
“Trump and Greg Abbott played with fire, got burned — and democracy won. This ruling is a win for Texas, and for every American who fights for free and fair elections.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican
“The radical left is once again trying to undermine the will of the people. The Big Beautiful Map was entirely legal and passed for partisan purposes to better represent the political affiliations of Texas. For years, Democrats have engaged in partisan redistricting intended to eliminate Republican representation.”
David Palomares, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a plaintiff in the case
“Hopefully this sends the right message across the country — not only in Texas, but it sends this message across the country — that it’s all about playing fair and it should be all about representing all our American people.”
Dayana Iza, Texas State Director for Mi Familia Vota, a plaintiff in the case
“We welcome today’s federal court ruling because it acknowledges that these new maps would have diluted and suppressed the votes and voices of Latino voters, and resoundingly rejects them. In a state that is 40 percent Hispanic, we should have greater representation, not less. These new maps were an attempt to silence us, but today’s ruling is a reminder that we are not going to sit quietly as our basic rights as citizens are threatened.”
Rick Levy, Texas AFL-CIO president
“This decision represents an important victory for Texas workers, for fair and representative maps, and for the strength of our democracy. While Donald Trump sought to impose a corrupt, self-serving map on Texas, working people across the nation rejected that effort. This ruling affirms that the voices of workers – not the influence of billionaires – must guide our democracy.”
Houston Public Media’s Michael Adkison, Tom Magnarelli, Kyle McClenagan and Bianca Seward contributed to this report.