Well, well, well. Just when the Democrats thought they could gerrymander their way back into relevance, the Supreme Court decided to crash their pity party with a dose of reality—and a win for the GOP. On Thursday, the Court hit pause on a lower court’s attempt to toss out Texas’s redistricting map, which, shocker, just so happens to tilt the playing field nicely in favor of Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Let’s be honest: redistricting is the blood sport of American politics. It’s not about fairness, justice, or giving people a voice. It’s about raw, unapologetic power. And Texas, ever the overachiever, drew up a map that hands Republicans control of five more districts. Naturally, the left screamed “racism” faster than you can say “identity politics,” and the whole thing ended up in court. Because when Democrats lose at the ballot box, they try to win in the courtroom.
But this time, the Supreme Court wasn’t having it. In an unsigned opinion—which is legalese for “We don’t even need to put our names on this because it’s that obvious”—the justices said the lower court basically overstepped its bounds and tripped over its own robes trying to swat down the map.
Apparently, the district court forgot one tiny principle: you’re supposed to assume lawmakers acted in good faith unless you’ve got actual evidence they didn’t. Instead, the lower court decided to do a little creative reading between the lines, built a case on “ambiguous” evidence, and then tried to derail an active primary season. The Supreme Court called that out for what it was—a judicial overreach wrapped in righteous indignation.
Justice Alito, never one to sugarcoat things, pointed out the obvious: this map wasn’t about race, it was about politics. Which, last time we checked, is not illegal. In fact, Democrats have been drawing lines for partisan gain since before half the country had electricity. Now the GOP does it, and suddenly it’s Jim Crow 2.0?
Alito also delivered a not-so-subtle jab at the plaintiffs for failing to offer an alternative map that achieved the same “partisan goals” without the allegedly racist implications. Translation: if you’re going to cry foul, at least do your homework.
Of course, the liberal Justices—Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson—were appalled, as usual. Kagan grumbled that the majority made the decision over a holiday weekend using a “cold paper record.” Right, because apparently we’re supposed to wait until the Fourth of July fireworks are over before upholding the law. She accused the Court of disrespecting the lower court and ignoring the impact on minority voters, which sounds noble, until you remember this is all really just about who gets to control the House.
Let’s not pretend the Democrats are innocent bystanders here. They’ve been busy redrawing their own maps in California and Utah, trying to claw back six seats. Virginia and Maryland are lining up for their own cartographic makeovers. This isn’t about principle—it’s about padding the numbers before the next election.
And speaking of numbers, Republicans now stand to gain nine seats thanks to redistricting. That’s five in Texas, two in Ohio, one in North Carolina, and one in Missouri. Florida and Indiana might throw in a few more for good measure. So while the left is busy writing angry dissents and holding candlelight vigils for “democracy,” the GOP is playing the game like it was designed to be played—ruthlessly and unapologetically.
Here’s the truth no one in polite media circles wants to admit: redistricting has always been a knife fight in a phone booth. The only difference now is that the Republicans brought a sharper knife. The Supreme Court just gave them the green light to use it.
So grab your popcorn. The 2026 midterms are shaping up to be a redrawing bloodbath—and this time, the Democrats don’t get to cry foul just because they’re losing at their own game.