LOS ANGELES (AP) — The fight over California’s new congressional map designed to help Democrats flip a string of U.S. House seats kicked off in court Monday, where a panel of federal judges is considering whether the rejiggered districts approved by voters last month can be used in elections. The hearing in Los Angeles sets the stage for a high-stakes legal and political fight between the Trump administration and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who’s been eyeing a 2028 presidential run. The lawsuit asks a three-judge panel to grant a temporary restraining order blocking the new map by Dec. 19 — the date candidates can take the first official steps to run in the 2026 elections when GOP control of the House will be in play.
Voters approved California’s new House map in November in so-called Proposition 50. It’s designed to help Democrats flip as many as five seats in the midterm elections. It was Newsom’s response to a Republican-led effort in Texas backed by President Donald Trump. The showdown between the nation’s two most populous states has spread nationally, with efforts aiming to determine which party controls Congress for the second half of Trump’s term.
Some plans are facing legal challenges, but the Supreme Court ruled earlier this month to allow Texas to use its new map for the 2026 election. The Justice Department has only sued California. The Justice Department, joining a case brought by the California Republican Party, has accused California of gerrymandering its map in violation of the Constitution by using race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters. The plaintiffs argue that the map was drawn with racial considerations rather than just political ones.
Defense attorneys challenge this interpretation, arguing that political shifts in the area could explain the map's design. The controversy looks set to continue as the judges review the arguments surrounding the legality of a map that has become a pivotal point in a broader national discussion on gerrymandering and voting rights.
Voters approved California’s new House map in November in so-called Proposition 50. It’s designed to help Democrats flip as many as five seats in the midterm elections. It was Newsom’s response to a Republican-led effort in Texas backed by President Donald Trump. The showdown between the nation’s two most populous states has spread nationally, with efforts aiming to determine which party controls Congress for the second half of Trump’s term.
Some plans are facing legal challenges, but the Supreme Court ruled earlier this month to allow Texas to use its new map for the 2026 election. The Justice Department has only sued California. The Justice Department, joining a case brought by the California Republican Party, has accused California of gerrymandering its map in violation of the Constitution by using race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters. The plaintiffs argue that the map was drawn with racial considerations rather than just political ones.
Defense attorneys challenge this interpretation, arguing that political shifts in the area could explain the map's design. The controversy looks set to continue as the judges review the arguments surrounding the legality of a map that has become a pivotal point in a broader national discussion on gerrymandering and voting rights.
