A federal court ruled Wednesday that California may proceed with a new congressional map designed to favor Democrats in the midterm elections.
The 2-1 decision from a panel of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California allows the state to implement a map that Democratic leadership argues is a necessary countermeasure to Republican redistricting efforts in other states.
The court rejected a legal challenge brought by the Trump administration and the California Republican Party, which alleged the map constituted unlawful racial gerrymandering in violation of the 14th and 15th amendments.
The temporary map, authorized by the voter-approved Proposition 50, was drawn specifically to neutralize anticipated Republican seat gains in Texas, where the GOP recently secured a map expected to net them five additional seats.
Proponents of Prop 50 argued the new boundaries could net Democrats up to five seats, potentially enough to shift control of the House of Representatives.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) called the challenge by Trump and Republicans a “weak attempt to silence voters” in a statement.
“California voters overwhelmingly supported Prop 50 — to respond to Trump’s rigging in Texas — and that is exactly what this court concluded,” Newsom said.
The majority opinion, written by Judge Josephine Staton and joined by Judge Wesley Hsu, found that the plaintiffs had failed to show that racial gerrymandering had occurred.
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While the ruling provides an immediate path forward for the state’s redistricting plan, the legality of Prop 50 can still be appealed in the Supreme Court, which recently allowed a Republican-drawn map to stand in Texas.
The outcome of such an appeal could significantly affect the GOP’s standing in the House of Representatives following the 2026 elections.
