Hours after federal judges blocked Texas from using a newly drawn Congressional map, state leaders filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
The redrawn map sparked a nationwide redistricting battle and is part of President Trump’s efforts to preserve a Republican majority in next year’s midterm elections.
The ruling by three federal judges served as a blow to Republicans while Democrats celebrated it. That’s because under the newly drawn maps approved by Republicans, who stood to gain five new seats in Texas, the Democrats were facing a game of political musical chairs — some were set to retire or primary each other. Now, that doesn’t have to happen.
“Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map”, which is illegal, the two federal judges said in the ruling.
They also cited a U.S. Department of Justice letter to Gov. Greg Abbott from July about four coalition districts made up of Blacks and Latinos, which include the 33rd Congressional District in North Texas, represented by Democrat Marc Veasey.
“DOJ threatened legal action if Texas didn’t immediately dismantle and redraw these districts, a threat based on their racial makeup. Notably, the DOJ letter targeted only majority non-white districts,” the judges’ ruling said. “Any mention of majority white districts, which DOJ presumably would have also targeted if its aims were partisan rather than racial, was conspicuously absent.”
While the judges temporarily blocked the new maps, there will still be a trial on them eventually.
Abbott slams judge’s “erroneous” decision
In a statement Tuesday, Abbott slammed the judges’ decision, calling it “Clearly erroneous and undermines the authority the U.S. Constitution assigns to the Texas Legislature by imposing a different map by judicial edict. The State of Texas will swiftly appeal to the United States Supreme Court.”
The state filed its appeal to the highest court late Tuesday afternoon.
CBS News Texas spoke with Democratic members of Congress from North Texas who praised the ruling.
“I totally agree with the court,” said Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Farmers Branch. “You know, what the Republicans and Greg Abbott did in Texas, to seeking to disenfranchise voters of color was egregious, and the court clearly agreed with that. This opinion is sharp, and it is clear, and it is concise.”
Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, said, “I feel like we’re on good legal grounds here. So, I feel confident, but you know I’m going to be again cautiously optimistic in watching what the Supreme Court says.”
“I’ve always made it clear that this was racial, and I know that some people want to run away from the race element, but the law protects it. We know that our Constitution recognizes and protects it,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas.
Texas Republicans call judge’s decision wrong
CBS News Texas also spoke with Republicans Tuesday night who called the judges’ decision wrong and said they are putting their faith in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Aaron Reitz, R-Candidate for Texas Attorney General, said, “My view is similar to Gov. Abbott’s and Attorney General Paxton, who have criticized the decision because, in fact, race was not used to draw these lines. Only politics was used, which is the appropriate standard.”
Another candidate for Attorney General, State Senator Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said it was a partisan map.
“Quite simply, this is a partisan map that draws more Republican seats and that’s why we’re going to win,” said Middleton. “That is why we’re going to be victorious in this appeal before the Supreme Court.”
Aside from the two judges who ruled, there is another judge on that panel, and he disagreed with the other two. We are waiting to see what his dissent says.
As a result of the ruling, Congresswoman Johnson and Congressman Veasey said they will run for re-election in their existing Congressional districts that they represent now.
As for Congresswoman Crockett, she said she still hasn’t decided whether to run for re-election in her Congressional District in Dallas or if she is going to run statewide for U.S. Senate. She said she is waiting for the polling to come back and that she hopes to make a decision by Thanksgiving.
The key, Crockett said, is if the polling shows she can beat a Republican candidate in the general election next November.
“At the end of the day, if the numbers are strong that I am our best shot, then it’s bigger than my district, it’s bigger than the state of Texas,” said Crockett. “This is about the country because we know if we can change the Senate map in this country, then that’s where we start to get wins.”
Crockett said the only way she or another Democrat can win is if they attract new voters, people who haven’t gone to the polls before, and not by Republicans simply crossing the political aisle.
Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming
