If Abbott had stuck with the story that this was purely political gamesmanship, the court would likely have allowed the redraw to stand, based on Supreme Court precedent effectively sanctioning partisan gerrymanders. But by repeatedly tying the process to a court ruling that changed the racial makeup of who can bring legal challenges under the Voting Rights Act, Abbott “explicitly directed the Legislature to redistrict based on race,” Judge Jeffrey Brown wrote in the ruling that blocked Texas’ new map.