Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito temporarily restores GOP-backed Texas map: report

Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito on Friday temporarily reinstated Texas’s GOP-favored congressional map, a move that delivers a significant advantage to Republicans as the midterm election filing deadline in the Lone Star State approaches, according to media reports.

The decision from the George W. Bush-appointed justice allows Texas to use the new district boundaries for the upcoming election while the legal challenge continues, Axios reported. The injunction, initially imposed by a three-judge federal panel earlier this week, had halted the use of the map. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials quickly appealed the injunction to the Supreme Court.

Alito’s order, which Axios noted Friday is not a ruling on the merits of the case, pauses the injunction and gives the plaintiffs until Monday to respond. Candidates, meanwhile, now have until December 8 to submit their filings for U.S. House seats.

The Republicans’ majority in the lower chamber could hinge on the outcome in Texas's elections, as the notoriously red state that voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election bowed to pressure from the MAGA leader and carved out five additional GOP-leaning seats this year.

“Texas began this summer's unusual mid-decade redistricting effort after President Trump pressured the state to give the GOP more House seats and protect its majority,” Axios reported. “That kicked off redistricting efforts from both parties nationwide.”

While redistricting based on politics is legal, racial gerrymandering is not, leaving it up to the high court to eventually decide whether the map is legal. No timeline has been set for a final decision, Axios noted Friday.

Texas voters will head to the polls for the primary election on March 3.