California Supreme Court declines to halt Dem-led gerrymandering efforts in the state
The California Supreme Court declined to stop Democratic legislators from proceeding with their plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts, a move criticized by Republicans as gerrymandering. Republicans had asked the court to block the redistricting, arguing that Democrats violated a procedural rule requiring a 30-day waiting period before passing new laws. However, the court found that the challengers did not provide sufficient grounds for relief.
The Democratic-controlled legislature is expected to approve the new map easily due to their supermajority, and Governor Gavin Newsom is highly likely to sign it into law. The redistricting plan, which responds to similar efforts in Texas, is projected to affect five congressional seats from each state-favoring Democrats in California and Republicans in Texas-perhaps reshaping House representation in the 2026 Congress.
The plan will appear on a special ballot election on November 4. Governor Newsom argues that the redistricting neutralizes Texas’ efforts and is a defense against political intimidation. Simultaneously occurring, Republican lawmakers who opposed the plan pledged to continue fighting it through legal challenges and at the ballot box, calling for fair and obvious elections rather of what they view as backroom political maneuvers.
California Supreme Court declines to halt Dem-led gerrymandering efforts in the state
The California Supreme Court declined to prevent Democratic legislators from advancing plans to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts.
The court’s decision came late Wednesday, a day after California Republicans requested the state’s Supreme Court block efforts to redraw the state’s congressional districts. They argued that Democratic legislators did not adhere to a rule necessitating they wait at least 30 days before approving newly proposed laws, according to CBS News.
As the Washington Examiner previously reported, the lawsuit was filed by four Republican state legislators: Assemblymen Tri Ta and Carl DeMaio and state senators Tony Strickland and Suzette Martinez Valladares.
The court claimed on Wednesday that the Republican legislators who filed the suit did not “meet their burden of establishing a basis for relief at this time,” CBS News reported. California’s state legislature is scheduled to vote on the proposed redistricting plans on Thursday. Since Democrats have a supermajority in the state government, it is expected to be easily approved. The bill would then go to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who is expected to approve it.
Overall, California has 52 congressional districts. The redistricting efforts and the elected officials leading the initiatives are supposedly doing so in response to similar redistricting efforts in Texas. If approved, both are expected to affect five seats from each state in Congress, with California’s efforts favoring Democrats while Texas’s attempt would favor Republicans. It would essentially be a representation trade-off in the House of Representatives for the next Congress in January 2026.
Assuming nothing prevents California Democrats from succeeding with their efforts on Thursday, as well as Newsom’s subsequent approval, the redistricting plan would be on the ballot for a Nov. 4 special election in the state, CBS reported. Newsom has been an ardent supporter of the redistricting plan and reiterated it on Wednesday before the court’s ruling.
“Look, what we’re doing neuters, neutralizes what’s happening in Texas,” said Newsom. “People have this chance with this ballot — Nov. 4 — is stand up to the rule of law, stand up for coequal branches of government, stand up to, yes, Donald Trump, but also stand up in the spirit that defines this moment to people being bullied and people being intimidated.”
FIVE CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS TARGETED BY NEWSOM REDISTRICTING PLAN
The California Republicans who filed the lawsuit, however, were less than enthusiastic about the court’s decision. They voiced their opposition to redistricting efforts and said that the court’s ruling would not be “the end of this fight,” CBS News reported. The GOP members released a statement vowing to continue.
“We will continue to challenge this unconstitutional power grab in the courts and at the ballot box. Californians deserve fair, transparent elections, not secret backroom deals to protect politicians,” read the statement.
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