By Liberals hate gerrymandering, unless it benefits them and can be based solely on race and identity, but the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a landmark redistricting case out of Louisiana that could reshape the way electoral maps are drawn nationwide, with significant implications for Republican gains in the South and beyond. In a move that signals the case’s sweeping potential, the justices on Friday broadened its scope to determine whether the 1965 Voting Rights Act still compels the creation of legislative districts designed to elect Black or Hispanic representatives.
The move could spell disaster for the long term prospects of Democrats, who are reliant on race-based districts to essentially have seats gifted to the party.
BREAKING: Democrats could lose as many as nearly 25 House seats if the Supreme Court moves forward with ending race-based gerrymandering. pic.twitter.com/06PMCvBw06
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) August 2, 2025
The Daily Caller explained a ruling that limits the application of the Voting Rights Act could have effects on congressional and local legislative districts across the country, particularly in the South. A decision that limits race-based districting could benefit the GOP, helping it recover the one seat it lost in Alabama and Louisiana due to court-ordered redistricting in the last election cycle. It could also open the door for Republicans to pick up additional seats in other Southern states where district lines have been drawn with racial considerations in mind.
Currently, the U.S. House includes 11 majority-Black and 31 majority-Hispanic districts, according to a Bloomberg News analysis of 2022 data. Republicans expanded their Senate control in the last election, winning 53 seats compared to the Democrats’ 45, with two Independents caucusing with the latter. Republicans currently hold an eight-seat majority in the House, a margin that includes vacancies created by the recent deaths of three Democratic lawmakers.
The Supreme Court case unfolds amid renewed redistricting battles in the South, including a brewing showdown in Texas. Texas Democrats are once again weighing whether to flee the state to block a GOP-led redistricting push ahead of the 2026 midterms, mirroring their dramatic walkout in 2003. That year, over 50 Democratic lawmakers fled the state to prevent a quorum, but Republicans ultimately pushed through a new map that helped them pick up five House seats in the 2004 elections.
The Louisiana case surfaces at a time when redistricting tensions are boiling over, particularly in Texas. There, Democrats—who hold just 12 of the state’s 38 congressional seats—are weighing drastic action to stall Republican-led map revisions ahead of the 2026 midterms.
A Texas House committee led by Republicans has advanced a new congressional map aimed at flipping five Democratic-held districts to Republican control, marking the beginning of what is expected to be a heated redistricting battle ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The vote followed a 15-hour public hearing in which most of the testimony opposed the proposed changes, reported The New York Times. The map targets districts in Democratic strongholds, including Houston, Dallas, Austin, and communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. It now heads to the House Calendars Committee, with a full House vote possible as early as next week.
Democratic members of Congress, particularly those representing the affected areas, criticized the map during the hearing. They argued that it weakens the political influence of Black and Hispanic voters and runs afoul of the Voting Rights Act. Party leaders have signaled plans to challenge the map in court should it move forward.
Republicans defended the proposal as a lawful use of redistricting powers, contending that it reflects a partisan—rather than racial—strategy to consolidate GOP power. The move aligns with national Republican efforts to expand their advantage in states where they already dominate. In Texas, the GOP currently holds 25 of the state’s 38 congressional seats.
Final approval of the map will require passage by both the Texas House and Senate, as well as the signature of Governor Greg Abbott, who has not yet commented on the measure. Texas Democrats could attempt to block the vote by breaking quorum, though doing so may delay unrelated legislation, including aid for areas recently devastated by flooding in the Hill Country.
🚨 BREAKING: The Texas House Redistricting Committee JUST PASSED the new map that adds up to 5 Republican U.S. House seats for 2026.
It’s happening. pic.twitter.com/bI67kWN0tx
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 2, 2025
National Democrats, anticipating losses in Texas, are exploring redistricting strategies of their own in states like California and Illinois, even though those states are already heavily drawn to favor Democrats and would not produce many more seats. The escalating state-level battles underscore the high stakes of the 2026 midterm elections, with control of the U.S. House potentially hanging in the balance.
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