Setbacks in Texas and elsewhere put Republicans' redistricting hopes in doubt as key deadlines loom
A federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using its new congressional map that set off a nationwide redistricting battle when it was put in place by state Republicans earlier this year. In a 2-1 ruling, the U.S. district court found that the proposed district lines were unconstitutional because they illegally diluted the voting power of Black and Hispanic Texans.
“The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics. To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map. But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map,” Judge Jeffrey V. Brown wrote.
The decision is the latest setback for Republicans in their nationwide effort to carve up district lines in red states to increase their chances of keeping their majority in the House of Representatives after next year’s midterms. Democrats have also gained significant ground recently in their own campaign to counter the GOP’s redistricting gains.
Just a few weeks ago, Republicans held a 9-0 advantage over Democrats in likely congressional seats gained through redistricting. Since then, Democrats have picked up as many as five seats in California, while the GOP’s five seats from Texas have been taken out of their tally, at least for now.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/article/setbacks-in-texas-and-elsewhere-put-republicans-redistricting-hopes-in-doubt-as-key-deadlines-loom-221645787.html