Overview
- The DOJ moved to intervene in Tangipa et al. v. Newsom and filed a federal complaint alleging California’s new map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander designed to bolster Hispanic voting power.
- Federal prosecutors asked the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to bar use of the Prop 50 lines in 2026 and beyond, with the case now pending and no major hearings scheduled.
- Proposition 50, approved on Nov. 4, temporarily replaces the state’s independent redistricting commission with legislature-drawn districts projected to put as many as five GOP-held seats at risk.
- California officials dismissed the challenge, with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office saying opponents “will also lose in court,” while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi denounced the plan as a “brazen power grab.”
- The clash is part of a broader mid-decade redistricting fight linked to President Donald Trump’s push in Texas and drew heavy national engagement, including $5 million from the Congressional Leadership Fund, Obama’s support and Schwarzenegger’s opposition.