WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court is blocking lower court rulings that ordered Texas to redraw some congressional and legislative districts.

The 5-4 order issued late Tuesday means the state almost certainly will hold elections next year in districts that were struck down as racially discriminatory.

The court's four liberal justices, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, would have allowed the redrawing of the affected districts.

Statement on the ruling from Attorney General Ken Paxton:

The Supreme Court confirmed what the rest of us already knew: Texas should be able to use maps in 2018 that the district court itself adopted in 2012 and Texas used in the last three election cycles," Attorney General Paxton said. "In 2012 the Supreme Court ordered the district court to adopt lawful maps, and we believe it did so. We are eager to proceed with this case in the high court.

Statement on the the ruling from U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas):

I have always maintained that the Supreme Court would have the final say on local congressional district lines, and tonight the Court just said it. Now there is certainty that CD-35, which I have been fortunate to represent for over 4 ½ years, will remain precisely the same for the next election. Filing for that election begins in only two months. I will maintain my active involvement in San Antonio, Austin, San Marcos, Lockhart and the other communities along I-35. I will hold my 7th town hall this year on Saturday at San Antonio College with State Senator José Menéndez, just prior to joining our annual Diez y Seis parade through the Westside. And the following Saturday I will hold an 8th town hall on the Eastside at the Claude Black Community Center with Councilmember Cruz Shaw. In between I will be listening to neighbors and participating in a number of activities throughout the area. Together, we will overcome the mean-spirited, narrow-minded Trump agenda.

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