Attorney General Ken Paxton today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a lower court ruling invalidating two of Texas’ 36 Congressional districts (27 and 35). Last week’s ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in San Antonio prevents the state from using the same court-adopted maps in 2018 that it has used in each of the last three election cycles.
“The maps are lawful and constitutional, and a stay is vital to avoiding unnecessary election confusion while the Supreme Court reviews this case,” Attorney General Paxton said. “It is astonishing that the lower court ignored that the maps are the very same ones that the court itself adopted in 2012, and the Obama-era Department of Justice did not bring any claims against the maps. We are confident that the Supreme Court will allow Texas to continue to use the maps used in the last three election cycles.”
Earlier this week, the district court turned down Attorney General Paxton’s stay request and ordered a hearing in early September to consider remedial plans to redraw the congressional maps.