James Talarico, a Texas state representative, said that a federal court's decision to block the state's 2025 congressional map as an unconstitutional gerrymander validated Democrats' summer quorum break and preserved the 2021 districts for the 2026 elections. He made this statement in an official campaign release.
"My fellow Texas Democrats and I broke quorum to shine a national spotlight on Trump's redistricting power grab," said James Dell Talarico, Texas State Representative of 50th District (D). "We inspired other states and millions of Americans to join the fight. Moments ago a federal court struck down his rigged map. This is why we fight back."
A three-judge federal panel in El Paso has blocked Texas from implementing its new 2025 congressional map, declaring it an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The panel ordered the state to revert to the 2021 districts for the upcoming 2026 elections. This ruling is considered a significant victory for Democrats following their summer quorum break, which delayed the Trump-backed redistricting plan.
The decision halts a mid-decade redistricting effort supported by former President Donald Trump that aimed to secure up to five additional House seats for Republicans in Texas. According to the ruling, this may preserve Democratic chances in a narrowly divided Congress and hinder similar Republican efforts in other states. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an immediate appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The federal panel found substantial evidence indicating that race was prioritized over partisanship in designing the 2025 map. The judges cited reliance on Department of Justice racial targets and noted a reduction in minority opportunity districts. As a result, elections will now use the 2021 map where Republicans hold 25 of 38 seats rather than the projected 30 under the blocked plan.
Talarico is an eighth-generation Texan, former middle school teacher, and Presbyterian seminarian who currently represents Texas House District 50 and is running in the 2026 race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Born to a single mother in Round Rock, he earned degrees from The University of Texas at Austin, Harvard University and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Before serving in the Legislature, he taught English on San Antonio's west side — one of Texas' poorest ZIP codes.
