The US Justice Department has sued California Controversial Democrat Favored Voting Maps. These maps were passed by voters last week and aim to counteract Republican gains from redistricting in Texas. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of a “brazen” power grab involving racially gerrymandered districts.
California voters strongly supported the redistricting bill known as Proposition 50, which benefits Democrats in five congressional districts. A spokesperson for Newsom responded, “These losers lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court.”
Bondi charged Newsom with trying “to entrench one-party rule and silence millions of Californians” by pushing the new district boundaries. She added, “Newsom should be concerned about keeping Californians safe and shutting down Antifa violence, not rigging his state for political gain.”
The Justice Department filed the lawsuit on Thursday in federal court to block the new maps. Federal prosecutors claim Governor Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber created “racially gerrymandered congressional districts,” violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
California Controversial Democrat Favored Voting Maps
Gerrymandering the practice of redrawing districts to favor a party is legal in the US unless it is based on race. The Justice Department presented “substantial evidence” that California’s legislature prioritized Latino demographics and racial factors in the new map.
Jesus A Osete, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, said, “Race cannot be used as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Prop 50. Californians were sold an illegal, racially gerrymandered map, but the U.S. Constitution prohibits its use in 2026 and beyond.”
These maps are part of a nationwide redistricting effort initiated by former President Donald Trump to gain an advantage for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections and retain control of the House of Representatives.
In response, Newsom launched a campaign in August to suspend California’s independently drawn maps to “fight fire with fire,” as Texas Republicans altered their maps at Trump’s urging. (Source)
California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta defended Newsom and the redistricting measure, noting multiple legal challenges to Proposition 50 have failed. “Californians spoke loud and clear,” Bonta said. “They are sick and tired of Trump’s lawlessness, lies, and inability to make life affordable. Their voices must be honored.”
Last week, the California Republican Party and others filed suit challenging Proposition 50, with Bonta accusing the federal Justice Department of trying to intervene in that case.
