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California Republicans Ask Supreme Court to Halt Prop. 50 Congressional Map for 2026

The application asks Justice Elena Kagan to reinstate the 2021 commission map before California’s Feb. 9 candidate filing window.

A U.S. Supreme Court Police canine unit patrols in front of the court building at the start of the day in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
California Republicans are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court in their challenge of California’s congressional map under Proposition 50, which voters approved in November. The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in this Jan. 13, 2026, file photo. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A voter fills out their ballot at a polling station inside San Francisco City Hall on November 04, 2025 in San Francisco, California. California voters are deciding whether to approve Proposition 50, a measure that would replace the state’s current congressional district map with new, legislature-drawn lines from 2026 through 2030.
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Overview

  • State Republicans and allied plaintiffs filed an emergency request to Justice Elena Kagan seeking an injunction pending appeal that would temporarily restore the 2021 congressional lines.
  • A three-judge federal panel on Jan. 14 denied a preliminary injunction in a 2–1 ruling, with the majority finding challengers failed to show racial gerrymandering and Judge Kenneth Lee dissenting.
  • Plaintiffs argue the voter-approved Proposition 50 map unlawfully used race to favor Latino voters, while state officials characterize the plan as a partisan redraw ratified by voters in November 2025.
  • The filing cites time pressure from election logistics, and analysts estimate the new map could shift roughly five Republican-held seats to Democrats in 2026.
  • Kagan can deny the request, seek a response, or refer it to the full court, and the bid comes after the Supreme Court allowed Texas’s new map to proceed in December as the DOJ’s earlier involvement backed the initial California lawsuit.