Texas Attorney General Defends Partisan Congressional Redistricting After Supreme Court Ruling

In a significant development for election law and partisan gerrymandering, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the state’s redrawn congressional map, affirming states’ ability to draw electoral districts based on political considerations.

Paxton made this statement in an interview with Newsmax’s program “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” stating that the decision aligns with previous rulings by the court and suggests that other Republican-led states may feel emboldened to pursue similar measures. He specifically criticized Democratic politicians for hypocrisy, citing their long history of engaging in partisan gerrymandering.

” It’s been happening for years. The Democrats have done this as well,” Paxton noted. “It is hypocritical for them to complain about Texas doing the same thing that has occurred in other states where they hold power.”

He went on to explain that while racial gerrymanderings are often struck down by courts, political ones can sometimes be permitted under certain circumstances. According to Paxton:

“The court has consistently allowed this practice. They’ve essentially given the green light for what we’re doing here,” said Paxton.

The attorney general emphasized that drawing districts with a specific political bias is permissible as long as other factors like race are not involved, which he claimed was exactly why Texas legislators justified their changes to congressional boundaries.

“I hope our stance will encourage other Republican states to follow suit and adopt the same approach,” added Paxton. “This sets a precedent that we can now claim with confidence.”

The ruling allows Texas to proceed with its new map for upcoming elections while federal litigation continues challenging it.