A three-judge panel ruled on Nov. 18 that Texas cannot implement new congressional maps drawn during a special session.
The court ruling requires the state to continue using the current congressional maps, which were created in 2021 following the 2020 census. The redistricting effort began after President Donald Trump called for Texas to redistrict and add five more Republican controlled districts.
“The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics,” U.S. Judge Jeffrey Brown, who was appointed by Trump, wrote in the ruling. “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.”
While the case is likely to be appealed, it is unlikely the appeal could be heard before the Dec. 8 deadline for candidates to file for election.
The ruling means that for now, the current districts will stay in place. San Marcos will likely remain in House District 35, currently represented by Congressman Greg Casar (D-Austin), instead of being moved to House District 21, currently represented by Chip Roy (R-Austin).
After the ruling, Casar called for the passage of a federal ban on gerrymandering.
Casar previously told The Star he believes the 2025 map is an illegal racial gerrymandering that would disenfranchise Latino votes in central Texas.
“The Trump Abbott maps are clearly illegal, and I’m glad these judges have blocked them,” Casar wrote on X. “If this decision stands, I look forward to running for reelection in my current district.”
Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) previously announced he would not run for reelection, so that Casar could instead run in the district. After the ruling, Doggett announced that he would run for reelection under the current maps.
“At this troubling time, as Trump poses a growing threat to our country and the world, having both of us pushing back on the Trump regime is certainly better for Austin,” Doggett wrote in an emailed statement. “And hopefully this court order will have a favorable impact on judicial consideration of extreme Republican gerrymandering in other states across the country.”
