Attorney General Ken Paxton today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a recent lower court ruling that invalidated nine of Texas’ 150 House seats. The decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in San Antonio prevents the state from using the same court-adopted House maps in 2018 that it used in each of the last three election cycles.
Earlier this week, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito granted Attorney General Paxton’s request for a stay of the district court’s ruling on two of Texas’ 36 congressional seats.
“We’re hopeful the court will grant a stay on the House maps, just as it did on the congressional maps,” said Marc Rylander, the communications director for the Office of the Attorney General. “The maps the lower court ruled against are the ones the very same court adopted in 2012. They’ve been in place for the last three election cycles and Texas should be allowed to use these maps going forward.”
Attorney General Paxton appealed to the Supreme Court after the district court turned down his stay request 39 minutes after it was filed. The lower court ordered a hearing early next month to consider remedial plans to redraw both the House and congressional maps.