The Supreme Court lets California use its new, Democratic-friendly congressional map

"The state's voters approved the redistricting plan last year as a Democratic counterresponse to Texas' new GOP-friendly map, which President Trump pushed for to help Republicans hold on to their narrow majority in the House. And in an unsigned order released Wednesday, the high court's majority denied an emergency request by the California's Republican Party to block the redistricting plan. The state's GOP argued that the map violated the U.S. Constitution because its creation was mainly driven by race, not partisan politics."

"The ruling on California's redistricting plan comes two months after the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Texas map that kicked off a nationwide gerrymandering fight by boosting the GOP's chances of winning five additional House seats. "With an eye on the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, several States have in recent months redrawn their congressional districts in ways that are predicted to favor the State's dominant political party," said the court's December order in the Texas case."

""With an eye on the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, several States have in recent months redrawn their congressional districts in ways that are predicted to favor the State's dominant political party," said the court's December order in the Texas case. "The "impetus" for adopting both states' maps was "partisan advantage pure and simple," wrote Justice Samuel Alito in a concurring opinion, which fellow conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch joined."

The Supreme Court denied an emergency request to block California's new congressional map, allowing its use in this year's midterm elections. Voters approved the plan last year as a Democratic counterresponse to Texas' GOP-friendly map, which aimed to help Republicans retain a narrow House majority. California Republicans argued the map was driven mainly by race rather than partisan politics, but a lower federal court rejected that claim. The decision follows the Court's approval of the Texas map, with a concurrence calling both states' maps aimed at partisan advantage, and a prior ruling limiting federal review of partisan gerrymandering.

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