{"id":2549413,"date":"2026-01-23T14:54:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-urges-supreme-court-to-block-new-ca-congressional-map\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:56:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:56:23","slug":"doj-urges-supreme-court-to-block-new-ca-congressional-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-urges-supreme-court-to-block-new-ca-congressional-map\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ urges Supreme Court to block new CA congressional map"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-urges-supreme-court-to-block-new-ca-congressional-map%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2549413&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Justice Department asked the supreme Court to block California&#8217;s new congressional map, backing an emergency petition from the California GOP that says the measure is an unlawful racial gerrymander. The DOJ&#8217;s filing calls the map a &#8220;fatal constitutional flaw,&#8221; pointing to statements by the mapmaker that districts-especially the 13th-were drawn to &#8220;bolster&#8221; latino depiction and arguing race, not politics, predominated in that district&#8217;s design.The department submitted three option maps it says meet California&#8217;s partisan goals without separating voters by race and contends that using race as a proxy for political aims cannot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/opinion-people-of-faith-must-educate-themselves-on-the-supreme-court\/\" title=\"Opinion: People Of Faith Must Educate Themselves On The ...\">satisfy strict scrutiny<\/a>. The petition seeks a ruling by Feb. 9 (the start of the 2026 candidate filing period); the Court asked California officials for a response by Jan. 29.If the map stands, Democrats could pick up as many as five House seats-potentially offsetting GOP gains from a newly drawn Texas map-and the case arrives as the Court prepares a decision in louisiana v. Callais, which will <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >shape race-based redistricting law<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DOJ urges Supreme Court to block California&rsquo;s new congressional map<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2472124\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> urged the Supreme Court this week to halt California&rsquo;s use of a new congressional map that would wipe out multiple GOP-held seats in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\">2026 midterm elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\">California<\/a> GOP filed an emergency petition to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/banning-church-and-jailing-grandma-stories-from-lockdown-ireland-2021\/\" title=\"Banning Church and Jailing Grandma: Stories from Lockdown Ireland 2021\">high court earlier<\/a> this week, asking the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/supreme-court\/\">Supreme Court<\/a> to halt the use of the new congressional map temporarily, which was approved by Golden State voters last November, arguing it is an unlawful racial gerrymander. The DOJ threw its support behind the California <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-party\/\">Republican Party&rsquo;s<\/a> petition, saying in a filing to the high court on Thursday that the new map &ldquo;suffers from a fatal constitutional flaw&rdquo; of a racially gerrymandered district.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/op-eds\/4429233\/supreme-court-hawaii-gun-rights-case\/\">SCOTUS likely to head-bop Hawaii over gun rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4427938\/samuel-alito-asks-past-support-hitler-kkk-could-remove-fed-governor\/\">Alito asks if past support of Hitler or KKK could be enough to remove Fed governor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4426758\/supreme-court-worried-letting-trump-fire-lisa-cook-jeopardizes-federal-reserve-independence\/\">Supreme Court worried letting Trump fire Lisa Cook jeopardizes Fed independence<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The mapmaker himself confirmed as much. In public statements, he candidly admitted that he drew district boundaries to &lsquo;ensure that the Latino districts&rsquo; are &lsquo;bolstered in order to make them most effective, particularly in the Central Valley,&rsquo; <em>i.e.<\/em>, where District 13 is located,&rdquo; Solicitor General D. John Sauer said in the filing.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The mapmaker&rsquo;s statements are direct evidence that race, not politics, predominated in the drawing of District 13,&rdquo; the brief added.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3908107\/supreme-court-texas-redrawn-congressional-map\/\">previously allowed<\/a> Texas to use its new congressional map, which was redrawn to net the GOP up to five additional seats, by halting a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/justice-alito-moves-up-deadline-for-supreme-court-briefing-in-pennsylvania-lawsuit-to-flip-the-election\/\" title=\"Justice Alito Moves Up Deadline For ... Briefing in Pennsylvania Lawsuit to Flip the Election\">lower court&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s ruling that found it an unlawful racial gerrymander. The high court claimed the lower court made &ldquo;at least two serious errors&rdquo; striking down the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\">Texas<\/a> map, including by not allowing an alternative map to be drawn and by failing &ldquo;to&nbsp;honor the presumption of legislative good faith by construing ambiguous direct and circumstantial evidence against the legislature.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department argues in its brief that the challenge to the California map is strong enough to require the map to be discarded, pointing to direct evidence that race was a decisive factor when drawing the 13th District and that the DOJ has provided three alternative maps, &ldquo;each of which achieved California&rsquo;s stated partisan goals for District 13 without &lsquo;separating its citizens into different voting districts on the basis of race.&#8217;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Of course, California&rsquo;s motivation in adopting the [Proposition] 50 map as a whole was undoubtedly to counteract Texas&rsquo;s political gerrymander. But that overarching political goal is not a license for district-level racial gerrymandering. A map still reflects a racial gerrymander when race is used &lsquo;as a proxy&rsquo; for &lsquo;political interests&rsquo; or &lsquo;to advance other goals,&#8217;&rdquo; the DOJ brief said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That is plainly what occurred in District 13. And because respondents do not contend that California can satisfy strict scrutiny, applicants have clearly established that they are likely to succeed on the merits,&rdquo; the brief continued.<\/p>\n<p>The California GOP requested that the Supreme Court rule on its emergency petition by Feb. 9, the start of the candidate filing deadline for the 2026 election. The Supreme Court requested a response from California officials regarding the petition by Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4426421\/california-gop-supreme-court-house-map-midterm-elections\/\">CALIFORNIA GOP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK HOUSE MAP AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If the California map is allowed to be used in the 2026 election, it would net Democrats up to five seats in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/house\/\">House<\/a>, effectively neutralizing the gains that the GOP is likely to net with the redrawn Texas map.<\/p>\n<p>The petition comes as the Supreme Court is slated to issue a ruling that could decide the fate of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3849965\/supreme-court-kickstart-round-of-redistricting-louisiana\/\">race-based redistricting challenges<\/a> in <em>Louisiana v. Callais<\/em>. A ruling in the <em>Callais<\/em> case is expected in the coming months, following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/justices-vote-6-3-to-keep-maine-vaccine-mandate-in-effect\/\" title=\"Justices vote 6-3 to keep Maine vaccine mandate in effect\">oral arguments held<\/a> in October 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ asks Supreme Court to halt California map<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2549414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25230787727413.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4045,7076,32275],"class_list":["post-2549413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-california","tag-doj","tag-supreme-court"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25230787727413.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2549413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2549413"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2549413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2549421,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2549413\/revisions\/2549421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2549414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2549413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2549413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2549413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}