The Texas redistricting battle is entering a new front as Democrats and civil rights groups are expected to challenge the newly passed maps. Texas House Democrats who had fled the state to stall the maps said they were returning “to the House floor and to the courthouse” this week, and several groups signaled they are ready to sue as soon as Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signs the legislation. Experts forecast Democrats will face an uphill climb to stop or even stall the maps, which could net five GOP House seats, from taking effect ahead of next year’s high-stakes midterms.
Democrats have largely argued that the maps are racially discriminatory, disenfranchising millions of minority voters in the state, as they accuse Trump and Republicans of attempting to rig the 2026 midterms in their favor. The VRA, a landmark 1965 law aimed at shoring up civil rights, protects against maps that dilute the voting power of minority voters. Republicans, notably, have hit back sharply against the criticisms.
Democratic State Rep. Rhetta Bowers told CBS Austin on Wednesday that Democrats were readying to file a potential case with the Texas Supreme Court immediately after the expected map passage. Several groups, including the National Redistricting Foundation, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee’s nonprofit arm; the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF); and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), filed a motion on Monday asking the U.S. District Court in El Paso to set aside time for a hearing on a preliminary injunction next month. A panel ruling could then be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.
