• The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a ruling against Texas' redistricting plan.
• Justice Samuel Alito's order allows the use of a map designed to favor Republicans for the 2026 elections.
• The lower court had deemed the map likely discriminatory against racial minorities.
• This ruling is part of a broader nationwide redistricting battle led by both Republican and Democratic states.
• Texas aims to gain five additional Republican congressional seats through this redistricting effort.

The U.S. Supreme Court intervened on Friday, temporarily blocking a lower court ruling that found Texas’ congressional redistricting plan likely discriminates based on race. Justice Samuel Alito’s order allows the state to use a controversial new voting map designed to favor Republican candidates in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections while the court determines its legality, according to Reuters and Los Angeles Times.

The emergency application from Texas Governor Greg Abbott argued that proceeding with the new map is crucial to avoid electoral chaos as congressional primary elections near. The Supreme Court's conservative majority has previously blocked similar lower court rulings, especially close to elections, as seen in Alabama and Louisiana, reports NPR and ABC News.

Al Jazeera and Le Monde.

As part of President Trump’s broader strategy, the new map aims to secure five additional Republican congressional seats, intensifying the contentious political landscape across states like California, which recently approved a competing redistricting initiative. This ongoing battle over electoral maps is reflective of a nationwide struggle over control of Congress, with Democrats and Republicans both seeking to redraw boundaries to their electoral advantage, as highlighted by Reuters, Los Angeles Times, and NPR.