The electoral map could boost the Republican effort to shore up their majority in the coming 2026 midterm elections.

WASHINGTON - The US Supreme Court cleared Texas to use a new Republican-drawn congressional map for next year’s election, bolstering GOP hopes of picking up as many as five new House seats in the state. Over three dissents, the justices lifted a lower court ruling that had blocked the map, which was drawn at President Donald Trump’s behest to help Republicans try to keep their House majority in the midterm election. The Supreme Court order applies only until the justices resolve the state’s appeal, and the decision doesn’t dictate whether the map can be used beyond 2026. The unusual Texas mid-decade redistricting set off a partisan fight across the nation, prompting about a dozen states to either redraw their maps or consider doing so. It’s not clear whether Republicans will ultimately benefit from the frenzy. Californians voted in November to redraw that state’s districts, potentially flipping five House seats to the Democratic side. The new California map is being challenged in another case likely to reach…