The Department of Justice has sued California over Prop 50, which would allow the legislature to redraw the Congressional map.
The new map would flip five districts from Republican to Democrat.
“Race cannot be used as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Proposition 50—the recent ballot initiative that junked California’s pre-existing electoral map in favor of a rush-job rejiggering of California’s congressional district lines,” the DOJ argued. “In the press, California’s legislators and governor sold a plan to promote the interests of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. But amongst themselves and on the debate floor, the focus was not partisanship, but race.”
The lawsuit mirrors the one filed by California Republicans. They filed their lawsuit on November 5, a day after voters voted for Prop 50.
“Our Constitution does not tolerate this racial gerrymander,” according to the filing.
The DOJ reminded the court that the department approved of California’s map during President Barack Obama’s administration.
“No one, let alone California, contends that its pre-existing map unlawfully discriminated on the basis of race,” added the DOJ. “Because the Proposition 50 map does, the United States respectfully requests that this Court enjoin Defendants from using it in the 2026 election and future elections.”
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