A federal judge has ruled that Galveston County’s commissioner precinct map, which was passed in 2021, violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act and that county leaders must redo the map.

Judge Jeffrey Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas early Friday gave the county several timelines for adopting a new map, explaining that the existing districts violate the Voting Rights Act by denying Black and Latino voters equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Former President Donald Trump appointed Brown to the seat.....

“We are glad that the court ruled in favor of our clients and will hold the Galveston County Commissioners Court accountable for fixing this blatantly discriminatory map,” said Joaquin Gonzalez, senior supervising attorney for the voting rights program at the Texas Civil Rights Project. “Racial gerrymandering is not a new tactic — it impacts voters of color every election cycle, and this case proves that voters will not sit idly by while politicians aim to diminish their power. We are proud of today’s outcome and of the Galveston community for taking on and winning their fight for representation.”...

The U.S. Department of Justice led a host of plaintiffs in March 2022 when it sued Galveston County over the new map, accusing Republican officials of violating the law when they carved up the Commissioner's Court precincts into four majority-white districts.