Federal court sides with radical activists, strikes down new Texas congressional map on 'racial' grounds



A federal court sided with advocacy groups, including the League of United Latin American Citizens, challenging the redistricted map of Texas and ordered that the old map be used for the 2026 election.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas found that challengers to the law would likely be able to prove that it was racially gerrymandered. Two judges ruled in favor, while one dissented.

'Democrats claiming that redistricting is racist are lying. 4 of the 5 districts the Texas Legislature is drawing will be Hispanic districts.'

"The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics," wrote U.S. Judge Jeffrey Brown 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."

Brown was appointed to the court by President Donald Trump in 2019.

Democrats cheered the decision.

"A federal court just stopped one of the most brazen attempts to steal our democracy that Texas has ever seen," said Texas state Rep. Gene Wu (D).

LULAC accused the Texas legislature of acting illegally in a previous statement about the case.

"Rather than remedying constitutional flaws in its previous map, lawmakers adopted a new plan that reduces opportunities for voters of color to have an equal voice," the group said. "The map was pushed through in a rushed, opaque process that shut out meaningful public input and ignored widespread testimony about the harm it would cause."

The case could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court; however, candidates must file for their campaigns by a Dec. 9 deadline.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott previously denied the accusation that the redistricting was discriminatory.

"Democrats claiming that redistricting is racist are lying. 4 of the 5 districts the Texas Legislature is drawing will be Hispanic districts," read a statement from his office on social media.

RELATED: CA Republicans sue to stop Newsom's redistricting scheme — he responds: 'Good luck, losers'

The other judge who agreed with Brown was appointed by former President Barack Obama, while the dissenting judge was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan.

Redistricting in Texas has been used by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to justify redistricting in California in order to counteract the seats that may be gained by Republicans in Congress. The Department of Justice has joined a lawsuit against California on the basis that its gerrymandering scheme is also racially discriminatory against non-Hispanics.

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Abbott drops out of NRA convention, will go to Uvalde instead



Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will no longer appear in person at the National Rifle Association's convention in Houston on Friday and will instead travel to Uvalde, where a deranged gunman murdered 19 children and two teachers earlier this week. Instead, the governor will give a pre-recorded address, a spokesman for his campaign said.

"Gov. Abbott will be delivering remarks via prerecorded video to the NRA Conference," Abbott campaign spokesman Mark Miner said in a statement. "He will be going to Uvalde today."

Abbott was one of several prominent Republican officials scheduled to attend the conference, along with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former President Donald Trump. His decision to back out of the event follows widespread criticism of Republican officials and the NRA by Democrats for opposing gun control legislation after an 18-year-old gunman bought two rifles legally and then used them to commit a massacre at Robb Elementary School.

At a press conference on the mass shooting Wednesday, Abbott's Democratic opponent in the upcoming election, Beto O'Rourke, heckled the governor and accused him of "doing nothing" to prevent future mass shootings. Earlier that day, O'Rourke called on Abbott to "immediately withdraw from this weekend’s NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas."

Some other high-profile figures have dropped out of the convention, including singers Larry Gatlin and Don McLean. Gun manufacturer Daniel Defense, the company that made the rifle used in the shooting, has also pulled out of the NRA's event.

Trump said Wednesday that he still plans on addressing the convention in person.

"America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship," the former president wrote on his social media website Truth Social. "That's why I will keep my longtime commitment to speak in Texas at the NRA Convention and deliver an important address to America. In the meantime, we all continue to pray for the victims, their families, and for our entire nation – we are all in this together."

On Wednesday, the NRA issued a statement expressing its "deepest sympathies" for the families of the victims of "this horrific and evil crime."

“Although an investigation is underway and facts are still emerging, we recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal,” the NRA said. “As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”