Overview
- California voters approved Proposition 50, empowering the legislature to replace commission-drawn congressional lines for 2026–2030 and potentially tilt up to five seats toward Democrats.
- The California Republican Party sued in federal court to block the new map, alleging racial gerrymandering and asking judges to keep the old districts in place during the case.
- Legal experts say the dispute will turn on whether race or partisanship predominated in drawing the lines, with a 2019 Supreme Court ruling limiting federal courts from policing purely partisan gerrymanders.
- Court timing could be decisive, as scholars note judges are often reluctant to change maps close to elections, making alterations before California’s June 2026 primary unlikely.
- The fight unfolds as GOP-led states pursue mid‑cycle remaps and as the Supreme Court considers Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could narrow Voting Rights Act tools central to race-based redistricting claims.