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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Texas, accusing Republican lawmakers of drawing a new congressional map designed to dilute the voting power of Black communities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, the lawsuit targets Governor Greg Abbott and Secretary of State Jane Nelson, seeking to block the map before it takes effect.
The NAACP argues that the map violates the Voting Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The group says the numbers speak for themselves: while Texas is roughly 40% white, the new map would allow white voters to control more than 73% of the state’s congressional seats.
According to the complaint, lawmakers intentionally weakened the representation of Black, Latino, and other minority voters to secure additional Republican seats.
“It’s quite obvious that Texas’s effort to redistrict mid-decade, before next year’s midterm elections, is racially motivated. The state’s intent here is to reduce the members of Congress who represent Black communities, and that, in and of itself, is unconstitutional,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP.
The new congressional boundaries were passed quickly by the Republican-controlled Legislature, which defended the move as a strategic realignment.
Lawmakers are aiming to secure five additional Republican-leaning seats, expanding the party’s control from 25 to 30 seats out of 38 total.
But critics argue the redraw comes too soon. Redistricting typically follows the decennial U.S. census. This change, pushed through mid-decade without new data, has fueled accusations that the move was politically motivated rather than population-driven.
The new map reshapes several Democratic-held districts in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and South Texas, making them more favorable to Republican candidates.
Areas represented by Greg Casar, Henry Cuellar, Al Green, Vicente Gonzalez, and Julie Johnson are among those most affected.
Civil rights groups argue that the map relies on classic gerrymandering tactics.
In some areas, minority voters are “packed” into fewer districts, concentrating their influence while freeing surrounding districts to favor Republican candidates.
In other regions, communities are “cracked” apart and scattered across multiple districts, further reducing their collective voting strength.
Damon T. Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, called the changes deliberate and damaging.
“Racial gerrymandering is not a new tactic in Texas’ playbook. The only difference this time is the racism is partially masquerading as partisanship. These maps take things from bad to worse, amplifying the profound injustice already experienced by Black communities and other communities of color in Texas,” Hewitt said.
Republican leaders reject accusations of racial bias, saying the redistricting process focused on strengthening partisan performance, not undermining minority voting rights.
State Senator Phil King, the bill’s sponsor, defended the map: “I drew it based on what would better perform for Republican candidates,” King said.
Governor Abbott’s office has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Texas has one of the largest populations of eligible Black voters in the U.S., giving this case national significance.
With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the outcome could affect representation in Congress and potentially shift the balance of power in Washington.
The NAACP argues that allowing the map to stand would cause “irreparable harm” to minority voters, locking them out of fair representation for years.
The organization is asking the court to intervene immediately to prevent the boundaries from being used in upcoming elections.
The lawsuit also signals broader tensions over redistricting nationwide. Similar fights are underway in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and other states, where Republican-controlled legislatures are accused of undermining the voting strength of minority communities.
By: Joshua Narh