Houston, Texas - A US district court on Tuesday struck down a congressional map redrawn by Republicans in Texas that was intended to give the party five more seats in the House of Representatives.

The court, in a setback for Republican President Donald Trump, ruled that the new map, which weakened five Democratic districts, could not be used in the 2026 midterm elections.

It said the redrawn map, which was challenged by Black and Hispanic voters, amounted to an illegal racial gerrymandering.

The decision, which is expected to be appealed to the conservative-majority Supreme Court, is the latest development in a congressional redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats.

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Democratic-ruled California, in response to the move in Texas, voted earlier this month to redraw its own congressional districts to favor Democrats.

US electoral districts are traditionally drawn following the national census to reflect population numbers. The next census is not scheduled until 2030.

But Republican-ruled Texas, under pressure from Trump, decided to redraw its congressional maps this year to yield more Republican districts.

Republicans currently hold a slim five-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

District Judge Jeffrey Brown, in the ruling striking down the Texas redistricting, said "the public perception of this case is that it's about politics."

"To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map," Brown said. "But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map."