In California, both congressional and state legislative maps were drawn and enacted by the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission, not the legislature or governor. The CRC released and certified its plans on December 20 and December 27, 2021, respectively. No legal challenges within the 45‑day petition window were pursued after certification, and an emergency petition (Moreno v. CRC) was summarily rejected by the California Supreme Court on December 15, 2021. After no referendum efforts emerged by March 27, 2022, the maps became legally operative and have governed electoral districts for both congressional and legislative contests throughout the decade.

In August 2025, CA lawmakers approved a proposed new map (AB 604) and an accompanying constitutional amendment language (ACA-8 / Prop. 50) proposing to temporarily suspend the independent commission’s 2021 congressional district map and replace it with a new map drawn by the Legislature. Prop 50 is specifically designed to counter mid-decade redistricting in Republican-led states like Texas and authorizes the use of the Legislature-drawn map for three election cycles. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the full package into law on August 21, 2025. Proposition 50 was placed on the November 2025 special election ballot and was overwhelmingly approved by voters on November 4.

Republican officials filed a federal lawsuit (Tangipa v. Newsom ) arguing that the new districts were an illegal racial gerrymander favoring Latino voters, in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. The U.S. Department of Justice also intervened, suing to block California’s “race-based” redistricting plan despite the state’s claims that the changes were needed for fairness. On January 14, 2026, a three-judge federal court panel ruled 2-1 to deny the plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction, thereby allowing the map to be used in the 2026 midterm election.

last updated: Jan 2026