Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the Supreme Court of the United States to block a lower court's ruling that tossed newly approved redistricting maps.
If granted, this 48-page filing would allow Texas to implement its newly passed congressional maps after a split decision by a three-judge district court panel resulted in a preliminary injunction earlier this week.
“Radical left-wing activists are abusing the judicial system to derail the Republican agenda and steal the U.S. House for Democrats. I am fighting to stop this blatant attempt to upend our political system,” Attorney General Paxton said in a statement. “Texas engaged in partisan redistricting solely to secure more Republican seats in Congress and thereby better represent our state and Texans. For years, Democrats have aggressively gerrymandered their states and only cry foul and hurl baseless ‘racism’ accusations because they are losing.”
The new map was passed by the Texas Legislature and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in August, despite attempts by House Democrats to block the process by breaking quorum.
🚨 BREAKING: Texas AG Ken Paxton appeals to the SUPREME COURT to uphold the Congressional map that adds red seats in 2026
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 21, 2025
It MUST be upheld! And Gavin Newsom’s gerrymander in CA MUST be struck down.
PAXTON: “Radical left-wing activists are abusing the judicial system to derail… pic.twitter.com/nvYNUX9zlF
Texas Filing by scott.mcclallen
This week, a panel of three federal judges in the Western District of Texas struck down Texas’s proposed redistricting maps.
The panel ruled 2-1. If the ruling stands, then Texas must use redistricting maps from 2021.
Circuit Judge Jerry E. Smith wrote a scathing 104-page dissent. Smith accused U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown of "pernicious judicial misbehavior."
Smith claimed that the ruling was a byproduct of "judicial activism."
In November, California voters passed Proposal 50, which aims to give Democrats more seats in the U.S. House.
The Department of Justice has sued and asked a court to toss the proposal. The lawsuit claims that the California redistricting maps use race as a proxy to advance political interests.
How the nation's top court responds to this petition could impact the outcome of elections next year. The appeal seeks an order blocking the lower court's ruling.
Texas has taken its redistricting fight to the Supreme Court, asking for an emergency stay of a lower court order barring the use of the state’s newly-drawn map meant to give Republicans more seats in Congress. #SCOTUShttps://t.co/RjT8t4hYX7 pic.twitter.com/glJVSlmLbh
— Katie Buehler (@bykatiebuehler) November 21, 2025
🚨 TEXAS AG Ken Paxton just took it to the Supreme Court: LOCK IN the redistricting map!
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) November 21, 2025
Time to add MORE RED SEATS in 2026! pic.twitter.com/Q7CxBlUXEJ
President Donald Trump has also urged Indiana Republicans to redistrict the state and pick up more U.S. House seats. Its unclear if they have the votes to do so.