Supreme Court Ruling Reshapes Texas Congressional Races as Doggett Retires, Casar Clears Primary Path
The Supreme Court‘s decision Thursday to uphold Texas Republicans’ controversial congressional map has dramatically altered the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterms, finalizing Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett‘s retirement after nearly five decades in public service while clearing the way for Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar to seek reelection without a high-profile primary challenge.
The court’s ruling reversed a lower federal court decision from November that had blocked the redistricting plan as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. That brief legal victory had prompted Doggett to resurrect his political career with a Mark Twain quip about reports of his death being “greatly exaggerated.” But Thursday’s Supreme Court intervention — which found the three-judge panel committed serious errors — has now cemented the 79-year-old congressman’s exit from politics.
“I will continue working with the same urgency and determination as if next year were my last, which in public office it will be,” Doggett said Friday, announcing his final retirement from a career that began with his election to the Texas Senate in 1973 at age 26.
The new map, drawn at President Trump’s urging during a mid-decade redistricting effort, targets five Democratic-held seats and merges two Austin-area districts into one. This consolidation would have forced a March 3 primary between Doggett and the 36-year-old Casar, creating an uncomfortable generational showdown between progressive allies. With Doggett’s retirement, Casar now faces a clear path to reelection in the newly configured 37th District, which encompasses Austin and its suburbs.
I just filed for re-election in Texas’s 37th district in Austin. We’re going to fight to ban gerrymandering nationwide, stop Trump’s corruption, and make Congress work for workers, not just the billionaires. pic.twitter.com/iOOb6POYls
— Greg Casar (@GregCasar) December 5, 2025
National Implications for House Control
The redistricting plan represents a significant strategic move by Republicans to defend and expand their House majority in the 2026 midterms. The map is designed to create 30 Republican-friendly congressional seats compared to just eight Democratic-leaning districts — a five-seat improvement over the current 25-13 GOP advantage.
Beyond Austin, the plan dramatically reshapes several Democratic-held districts. The 32nd Congressional District, currently held by Rep. Julie Johnson, has been reconfigured to stretch into East Texas, transforming a seat Vice President Kamala Harris won by 24 points in 2024 into one Trump would have carried by 18 points. Similar transformations affect districts in Houston and Dallas, where Democratic incumbents face difficult choices about retirement or challenging primaries against fellow incumbents.
The Texas redistricting has sparked reciprocal efforts in Democratic-controlled states. After Texas Democrats initially fled the state to prevent a quorum, they returned following assurances from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats that they would pursue their own favorable redistricting to offset Republican gains.
Progressive Leadership in Uncertain Times
Casar’s retention represents a significant development for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party as it seeks direction after the 2024 electoral setbacks. As chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the former labor organizer has emerged as a prominent voice advocating for economic populism as the path forward for Democrats seeking to reclaim working-class voters who shifted toward Republicans.
Recent appearances alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour through Texas have showcased Casar’s focus on pocketbook issues like raising the minimum wage and increasing taxes on the wealthy — deliberately avoiding divisive social issues in favor of economic messaging he believes can unite diverse coalitions.
The Road Ahead
With the filing deadline Monday and no further legal relief expected, Texas Democrats face a dramatically altered electoral map that Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain celebrated as the “Big Beautiful Map.” The changes position Republicans favorably in Congressional Districts 9, 32, and 35, forcing Democratic incumbents to contemplate retirement, relocate, or face difficult primary battles.
For Doggett, who gained national attention in 2024 as the first congressional Democrat to publicly call for President Biden to end his reelection campaign, the Supreme Court’s decision represents an ignoble end to an illustrious career. In his retirement statement, he decried what he called Trump’s “racial gerrymandering” as just “his first major shenanigan designed to win next year’s election.”
As the 2026 midterms approach, the Texas redistricting battle serves as a preview of the high-stakes maneuvering both parties are willing to undertake to control the House of Representatives in an era of razor-thin majorities and nationalized congressional races.
The Quorum Report‘s Scott Braddock talks with KVUE Political Director Ashley Goudeau on the Supreme Court’s decision to use Texas’ new congressional map.
Save Austin Now, the PAC that led the charge against Proposition Q, and its treasurer, Leland Bickers, filed a lawsuit Friday against City Manager T.C. Broadnax over the parody usage of the city’s new logo. (Austin American-Statesman)
Message to the City of Austin: We see your weak legal threat and raise you.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) December 5, 2025
See you in state court.
In the meantime, join our effort to force regular, complete performance audits of the ENTIRE city budget here: https://t.co/2Wds53aQIa.@AleshireLaw @natemcguire @LoewyLawFirm…
Austin’s airport is planning a huge expansion, but a new report suggests they might not be ready. The audit found the Aviation Department is struggling to manage its current contracts, which creates worry about how they will handle the many new vendors needed for the buildout.
After the city of Austin took a step back from its tentative labor agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association last month, the two parties have picked up renegotiations as of Thursday.
Waymo, the company behind the self-driving vehicles seen across Austin, says it will be filing a voluntary software recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall concerns the cars not slowing and stopping near school buses and comes after Austin ISD shared it had videos of the cars illegally passing buses 20 times since the first week of classes in August.
Williamson County authorities are searching for a young girl reported missing.
Early Friday morning, Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a young child wandering alone in the woods.
Bexar County authorities also reported the discovery of skeletal remains on the east side of the county Friday.
Members of the U.S. Marshals-led Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force Wednesday afternoon arrested an individual who was sought for aggravated sexual assault of a child in Williamson County.
Rutilo Alfonso Renteria, 59, who was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child that occurred in July of 2024.
A Cedar Park man, Daniel Vincent Attridge, 48, was arrested Thursday on charges related to an alleged wire fraud scheme. (CBS Austin)
This week’s Crime Watch from FOX 7 Austin:
A boil water notice that had been issued for parts of Pflugerville has been lifted. (KVUE-TV)
At a Thursday briefing on the I-35 Capital Express Central project, Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department Director Richard Mendoza notified the city’s Mobility Committee on recent developments about the project’s timeline.
WEATHER
FRIDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Newly released 911 calls from Kerr County reveal dispatchers were overwhelmed as hundreds of people desperately called for help during the July 4 flooding event that claimed the lives of at least 117 people in that county alone.
The mayor of Uhland, a small city south of Austin, was arrested by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday afternoon for allegedly misusing a quarter of a million in city funds, according to city officials. (Austin American-Statesman)
Several food and beverage trade associations are asking a federal court to strike down a package-labeling provision in a new Texas law aimed at combating obesity, diabetes and some cancers. (Austin American-Statesman)
The U.S. is poised to lose its measles-free status by 2026, and this year’s outbreak in West Texas may have played a big part in the decline in protection against the disease. (Houston Chronicle)
Fifty San Antonio Police Department officers helped undertake a controversial federal immigration raid that detained 140 people last month at what authorities maintain was an after-hours nightclub. (San Antonio Current)
Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday sued the East Plano Islamic Center and its leaders in North Texas for alleged securities fraud after months of fierce scrutiny from GOP officials and commentators over a planned Muslim community.
BREAKING: I just sued East Plano Islamic Center to stop its illegal land development scheme.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) December 5, 2025
The leaders behind EPIC City have engaged in a radical plot to destroy hundreds of acres of beautiful Texas land and line their own pockets. pic.twitter.com/OtGb5oAcml
So Much Uncertainty In Texas Politics
The future of THC in Texas is once again in jeopardy. Reporters Isaac Yu of the Houston Chronicle and John Moritz of the Austin American-Statesman join host Jeremy Wallace to dig into how the industry is bracing for a new effort to destroy their businesses.
Plus, what impact will U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett have on the U.S. Senate race if the outspoken Democrat jumps in, as expected.
Finally, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia stops by the program to vent about how nothing has happened a year after President Donald Trump said he wanted to work with Democrats to help ‘dreamers.” The Houston Democrat says the White House has done little to help advance her legislation that would protect tens of thousands of people in Texas brought to the country as children from being deported.
(Episode from December 5, 2025)
For over 30 years Skip Hollandsworth has been a master storyteller at “Texas Monthly.” He’s been investigating and telling the stories of Texas true crime with a keen eye for detail and a way of getting people to spill the tea. We hear from Skip about his new book “She Kills: The Murderous Socialite, the Cross-Dressing Bank Robber, and Other True Crime Tales.”
WEEKLY ROUNDUP
(Episode from December 5, 2025)
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett has a special announcement planned for Monday afternoon concerning her intentions for running for the U.S. Senate in 2026.
It is hilarious to me that me saying that I will announce what I plan to do on 12/8, like I’ve been saying is scaring the heck out of so many people. The attacks are hilarious… note to those that don’t know how politics works… only the threat gets attacked 🤷🏾♀️.
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) December 4, 2025
Again, my…
As of 2025, there is no specific statute restricting residents from attaching holiday bulbs to their vehicles. There are, however, limits on color and affect, as well as brightness. (My San Antonio)
SPORTS
Longhorns 2026 Recruiting Award Show | Final Takes
Orangebloods presents an awards show for the Longhorns’ 2026 recruiting class. The hosts discuss various awards, including offensive and defensive MVPs, early contributors, and underrated players. Predictions for the upcoming college football championship weekend games are also included.
(Episode from December 5, 2025)
NBA: Kevin Durant had 28 points to become the eighth player in NBA history to score 31,000 career points as the Houston Rockets rolled to a 117-98 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
It was Durant’s first game against his former team since a blockbuster seven-team trade that sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Suns. (Yahoo! Sports)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 in three quarters, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks 132-111 on Friday night to claim their 14th straight win.
Dallas, though also dealing with several injuries, had won three straight. Star rookie Cooper Flagg, who averaged 27 points during the win streak, scored 16 on Friday. (Yahoo! Sports)
Donovan Mitchell had 28 points and eight assists, Jaylon Tyson scored 16 of his 24 points in the third quarter and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs 130-117 on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
San Antonio has tonight off while the Rockets take a trip up I-35.
STANDINGS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: A quiet Friday in college basketball on the Lone Star State. Tonight, No. 8 Houston is in action.
ROLL CALL!
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) December 5, 2025
Raise your hand if you are going to be in the @toyotacenter this Saturday 🖐️
Listen to @lossyuzan, @joseph_tugler, @ramonwalker04 @K1ngFlemings & @jacobmcfar1and
🎟️ – https://t.co/8roSxhsC3N#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/xQfcHLoMVL
NHL: Mikko Rantanen posted a three-point game (1 goal, 2 assists) to lead the Dallas Stars to a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night at American Airlines Center. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
The Stars are off tonight but return to the ice tomorrow.
MLB: The Houston Astros made some offseason moves.
FIFA SOCCER: Ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup, North Texas is watching for who might play their games at AT&T Stadium.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 match schedule will be revealed today! 🙌
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) December 6, 2025
The full reveal of match venues and kick-off times will take place in a live global broadcast at 12:00 EST from Washington DC.
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: There will be a World Cup Final HALF-TIME show! 🎶 pic.twitter.com/6k4q2gdJpa
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) December 5, 2025
In the latest episode of Texas Country Reporter, meet three Texans who prove that passion, craft, and creativity can spark at any age — and take shape in the most unexpected places.
