A 3-judge federal court panel has declined to issue a preliminary injunction preventing the use of California’s new congressional map in the 2026 elections, which was approved by 64% of voters via Proposition 50 in a November special election. The legal challenge, brought by the California Republican Party and the U.S. Department of Justice, alleged that the map constituted racial gerrymandering by disproportionately favoring Latino voting power. After a three-day preliminary injunction hearing, however, the court rejected these claims in a 2-1 ruling, with the majority opinion concluding that the map was a “political gerrymander” rather than a racially motivated one. Read the opinion.
This development is part of a broader mid-decade redistricting effort triggered by national political tensions. Governor Gavin Newsom advocated for the new map to “fight fire with fire” following Republican-led redistricting efforts in states such as Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina. While the court denied an immediate injunction to block the map, the Republican plaintiffs have filed a motion for an injunction pending an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The outcome of this and similar redistricting maneuvers in states like Virginia and Florida will be critical in determining the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives leading into the 2026 midterm elections.
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