Republicans who were planning to run for newly gerrymandered districts may have to reassess, while Democrats who were drawn out of their seats could suddenly have a path back to Congress.

A federal court in El Paso ruled that the redistricting backed by Trump and Republicans to reshape the map for the 2026 midterms illegally weakened the voting power of minorities.

A federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a redrawn U.S. House map that touched off a nationwide redistricting battle and is a major piece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to

Voters head to the polls on Nov. 4 in a special election for U.S. House District 18, a Houston City Council race, 17 Texas amendments, and more.

The ruling comes as recent polling shows voters split on whether they approve of states’ decisions to redraw the maps ahead of 2026

The longtime Austin Democrat had previously said he would not seek reelection if the state's newly drawn congressional map, which favors Republicans, went into effect.