() On Wednesday, a three-judge panel in El Paso, Texas, will take up a high-stakes lawsuit over the state’s new mid-decade congressional map.
The districts most affected are majority-minority districts, where racial minorities make up most of the voters.
Citing concerns that the map “packs and cracks” districts to silence minority voices and diminish their voting impact, Democrats and civil rights organizations have urged the panel to reject it.
Texas Republicans have dismissed claims of racial gerrymandering, asserting that the new map mirrors population increases in urban regions and that the redrawn districts are legally supported.
Passed by lawmakers in August, the map has become a focal point in a political dispute as President Donald Trump aims to secure additional congressional seats during the 2026 midterm elections.
The legal fight could shape control of the U.S. House in the final two years of Trump’s term.
The panel is expected to hear arguments for nine days, and any decision it issues can be appealed directly to the Supreme Court.
If the panel disapproves of the new map, it might revert to the state’s 2021 congressional map or impose its own temporary district boundaries. However, time is of the essence, with the filing period for 2026 Texas congressional candidates opening on Nov. 8 and lasting just one month.
