The U.S. Supreme Court handed Texas Republicans a small victory on Friday when it rejected the left-leaning Congressional and statehouse political district maps that had been drawn by a panel of judges.

In its unanimous and unsigned decision, the high court said the San Antonio panel of judges had overstepped its bounds when it completely rejected a map drawn last year by the GOP-dominated Texas Legislature.

This could mean another delay in the already-late Texas primary, which has been pushed to April 3, creating — similar to the NBA — a shorter season than we’re all used to.

While a lot is riding on these maps (not the least of which is the actual primary election and about five percent of Texas’ statehouse districts) the biggest thing at stake is who gets to win the presumed four additional Congressional seats that Texas should get as a result of population growth.

Tipping those Democratic seats in Texas would tip the scales nationally, and as the Lone Star State is lead by a bank of statewide Republicans, well... you can imagine how that displeases our state leaders.

In its Friday decision, what the high court did not do is tell the judges to use the Legislature’s map — nor did it instruct against using them — so the decision leaves the state in limbo until a separate panel of judges in D.C. decides in the coming weeks whether that map is legal under the Voting Rights Act.

Some argue it isn’t legal and that it shuts out minorities, which is what prompted the San Antonio judges to toss it out and draw a new map that reflected major changes and threw some bones to Democrats that the state-drawn map had given to the GOP.

Texas has been trying to redraw its lines for a year, but can’t seem to get a foothold in legality without someone crying foul. This has lead to a scenario that would be comical if it weren't so important: Candidates filing and re-filing to run in ever-changing districts; campaigns spending thousands to campaign in districts they're later drawn out of; and campaign workers and consultancies tanking on their 2011 numbers because none of the candidates can commit to anything until they know where their districts are. Or in some cases, if they even have one.

(Every 10 years, states have to redraw their district lines in order to compensate for minority growth and population gains, with the ultimate purpose of keeping each district roughly equal in terms of population and ensuring that minorities are neither bundled into too few districts or diluted into too many.)

For now, the primary date is April 3. It could move again, if this D.C.-based panel charged with pre-approving the maps — standard operating procedure on redistricting — doesn’t like the Lege map or doesn’t make its decision by the end of this month.