Texas will temporarily return to using its 2025 congressional map after Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito granted the state’s request to pause a lower court ruling that would have required reverting to the 2021 boundaries.
The decision, issued Friday, does not settle the ongoing legal dispute over the map’s validity but allows the 2025 version to remain in place while the case proceeds. Alito instructed plaintiffs to respond to the motion by Monday, with the Dec. 8 candidate filing deadline looming.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the ruling a victory and said his office will “look forward to continuing to press forward in our case on the merits.”
President Donald Trump pushed Texas officials to redraw the map earlier this year in an effort to secure five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House ahead of the midterms. However, a federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using the revised map in 2026 elections, ruling that its changes showed evidence of racial gerrymandering.
Galveston District Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, authored the opinion ordering Texas to revert to the 2021 map. Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jerry Smith issued a strong dissent.
Leadership Vacancy in Harris County
A separate political impasse emerged Thursday in Harris County, where commissioners failed to appoint a replacement for County Attorney Christian Menefee, leaving the office’s future uncertain ahead of key election deadlines.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had scheduled a special session to address the vacancy, but a scheduling conflict prevented her from attending, a representative said. Commissioners conducted only brief procedural business before adjourning, as Commissioner Adrian Garcia — who was present for the quorum — also had to leave immediately due to a conflicting commitment.
The appointment was further delayed by a rule change adopted Nov. 13 that allows two commissioners to “tag” an item, postponing its discussion until the next regular meeting. The executive session regarding the county attorney position was tagged by Commissioners Lesley Briones and Rodney Ellis.
The commissioners’ next scheduled meeting is Dec. 11 — three days after the candidate filing deadline for the 2026 Democratic primary.
Political Calculations
Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston, said commissioners may be divided over potential candidates, with no individual able to secure support from a majority of the five-member court.
“‘Counting to three’ is very important,” Sims said, referring to the number of votes needed to pass items or make appointments. “It sounds to me like they reached a point where their count wasn’t working for anybody.”
Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin was seen as an early frontrunner, but her push to gather endorsements for the role may have been considered premature, Sims said.
“Commissioners Court is a unique entity, and they have to be approached carefully and cautiously in a situation like this,” Sims said. “She may have jumped the gun a little bit by putting together a list of supporters.”
If Kamin decides to run, she would be required to resign from her council seat under Texas’ resign-to-run law. She did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.
Candidates Already in the Race
Two candidates have already filed to succeed Menefee:
- Judge Audrie Lawton-Evans (D), who oversees Civil Court at Law No. 1, filed Monday.
- Jacqueline Lucci Smith (R), a former Harris County judge and current general counsel to state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, filed Sept. 8. Smith lost to Menefee in 2024 by about 1% of the vote.
Menefee, who was reelected in 2024, submitted a resignation in March after announcing his campaign for Texas’ 18th Congressional District. He remains in office as a “holdover,” and will continue to do so until commissioners appoint a successor or he wins his runoff against Amanda Edwards.
Under Chapter 601 of the Texas Local Government Code, if Menefee wins the runoff, a senior member of his office would oversee day-to-day operations.
Legal and Political Pressure
Texas’ resign-to-run laws are intended to prevent elected officials from leveraging their current roles in campaigns and to ensure focus on their active duties. That may be difficult for Menefee, who remains in office while campaigning vigorously in a tightened runoff race.
“This leaves Christian Menefee earning his salary and campaigning simultaneously,” Sims said. “The runoff is absolutely more intense because it’s one-on-one — a two-person race versus a roughly 12-person contest.”
Menefee cannot formally step down before a successor is appointed and qualified, according to a 2015 opinion from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Texas awaits further direction from the Supreme Court on redistricting, Harris County’s Commissioners Court faces pressure to resolve a stalled leadership appointment, and local candidates are running out of time ahead of key filing deadlines.
