The US Supreme Court on Thursday cleared Texas to use its new congressional map. This decision boosts the Republican Party’s chances of winning five extra US House seats in the 2026 midterm election. The unsigned order paused a lower court's ruling that blocked the map due to claims of racial discrimination, NPR reported. In October, a three-judge panel found that challengers were likely to prove the map discriminates against voters based on race. The panel cited a letter from the Department of Justice and statements from GOP lawmakers saying the map was drawn to reduce Black and Latino voter influence. They had ordered Texas to keep using the 2021 districts for the next election. Texas appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the map changes were for political reasons, favoring Republicans, not race. Earlier, Justice Samuel Alito allowed Texas to temporarily use the map while the Supreme Court reviewed the case. Elsewhere, California voters approved a new map in a special election in November to help Democrats gain five seats. The legal challenge to this map will be heard on December 15. Other states like Missouri, Florida, Indiana, and Virginia are also facing lawsuits or planning new districts before the 2026 midterms. A federal court recently allowed North Carolina to use its new map, possibly giving Republicans an extra seat. The Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on Louisiana's voting rights case could lead to more Republican-friendly districts for the 2026 elections. This could trigger another wave of congressional redistricting before the polls.