Hours after California voters approved a new congressional map that could help Democrats win five more House seats next year, California Republicans filed a lawsuit.
Republicans contend that the map, which was passed as Proposition 50 and supported by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, unlawfully prioritizes race to favor Hispanic voters — a move they say breaches the Constitution's equal protection clause and voting rights provisions.
Newsom Says Lawsuit Is ‘Going To Fail’
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by the California-based Dhillon Law Group, led by Harmeet Dhillon, who currently serves as the U.S. Department of Justice's Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
Mark Meuser, the Election Law Attorney with the Dhillon Law Group, posted on X addressing Newsom, “We are asking the court to require the old maps to be in effect while we litigation your unconstitutional actions.”
In response, Newsom’s office stated that they haven’t seen the lawsuit; however, “it's going to fail.”
Obama, Harris Support Prop 50 While Vance Calls It Unfair
Proposition 50, or Prop 50, was seen as a counterstrategy to Vice President JD Vance‘s call for Republicans to match Democrats’ aggressive redistricting strategies, arguing that California unfairly benefits from the presence of undocumented immigrants.
Former President Barack Obama had endorsed Newsom’s redistricting plan, describing it as a “smart, measured approach” in response to Republican moves in Texas. Former Vice President Kamala Harris had also expressed her support for California’s Prop 50 move.
Meanwhile, Tuesday’s election results saw a string of wins for Democrats with Abigail Spanberger and Mike Sherrill elected as the new Governors for Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. In New York City, 34-year-old Democrat Socialist Zohran Mamdani saw a historic win as the first South Asian Mayor.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
