Republicans received a major boost in the 2026 midterm elections after the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Texas to use a new congressional map, which is expected to yield five additional GOP-held U.S. House seats. According to NBC News, the unsigned order said Texas is “likely to succeed on the merits of its claim.” The majority ruled a “lower court likely erred when invalidating the map as a likely racial gerrymander,” The Hill noted. The ruling appeared to be 6-3 in favor of allowing the map, with the liberal justices dissenting. BREAKING – MASSIVE VICTORY: Supreme Court UPHOLDS Texas' 2026 Congressional redistricting map in a 6-3 ruling HUGE WIN. This means +5 RED SEATS! pic.twitter.com/NBOK8sxIva — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 4, 2025 The Hill has more: It is not the high court’s final word, but it enables Texas to move ahead to its March primary under the new map as the state continues its appeal. The war over Texas’ map started earlier this year when the White House and national Republicans pressed the Lone Star State to do mid-decade redistricting in an effort to net additional House seats as the GOP braces for a challenging midterm environment next year. Texas Republicans passed their new House map over the summer, which gives them a handful of potential new pickup opportunities. The redistricting push in Texas immediately set off a national arms race as blue and red states alike began reconsidering new House maps in their own states. Both parties have sued each others’ maps, including in Texas, creating a volatile environment for candidates and lawmakers alike as candidate filing deadlines are rapidly approaching and as political hopefuls brace to reintroduce themselves in new areas. In the redistricting battle, Republicans are expected to gain five seats from Texas, two from Ohio, one in Missouri, and one in North Carolina. Florida is also expected to redraw its congressional districts in 2026, potentially yielding five additional GOP-held seats. Meanwhile, Democrats are expected to gain five seats in California and one in Utah. Maryland and Virginia could also be states that yield additional Democrat-held seats. BREAKING: SCOTUS UPHOLDS TEXAS VOTING MAPS! Proud to have co-authored an amicus brief on this with my colleagues John Sauer & ⁦@JesusOseteDOJ⁩. ⁦@AGPamBondi⁩’s DOJ is delivering WINS for the American people daily! pic.twitter.com/auE8CBT8SW — AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) December 4, 2025 NBC News shared: The decision marks a win for President Donald Trump, who filed a brief urging the court to rule in favor of Texas. The Supreme Court had provisionally put the decision on hold Nov. 21 while the justices weighed what next step to take, in an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito. Traditionally, states draw new districts once a decade after the census shows how populations have shifted. But this year, Trump, worried about the narrow Republican majority in the House, has repeatedly pushed Republican-led states to draw new maps outside of that normal timeline. A Trump administration letter earlier this year said the state could be subject to a federal lawsuit if it did not eliminate “coalition districts” in which nonwhite voters of different races constitute the majority. Thanks to a Supreme Court ruling in 2019, states are free to redistrict in a way intended to maximize the majority party’s political power, but there remain some restrictions under both the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act when race is a factor.