California Republicans swiftly moved to file a lawsuit against a controversial redistricting ballot measure pushed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) after voters approved the measure during Tuesday’s off-year elections.
Republicans claim in a lawsuit that the new map that will be enacted as a result of Proposition 50, giving Democrats five more favorable congressional districts, is unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by the Dhillon Law Group on behalf of the California GOP. The lawsuit claims that the new maps illegally use voters’ race to draw new districts.
California Assemblyman David Tangipa said during a Wednesday press conference announcing the lawsuit that he was “appalled by what has happened.”
“And when I said that the fight for California has just begun, I hope everybody and anybody knows I meant that,” Tangipa said. He also claimed that Proposition 50 is “completely diminishing the voices of other groups to benefit other groups.”
Newsom moved forward with Proposition 50 in retaliation against Texas Republicans who passed a new congressional map with five more favorable districts for the GOP at the behest of President Donald Trump.
NEWSOM’S BIG PROPOSITION 50 WIN TURNS HIM TO LEADING 2028 WHITE HOUSE CONTENDER
Democrats said the lawsuit is an example of Republicans dismissing the will of California voters. The race for Proposition 50, which throws out an independent redistricting commission for new maps drawn by state lawmakers, was called by the Associated Press one minute after polls closed on Tuesday. Results showed that 64% of voters said yes to Proposition 50 and 36% said no.
If Proposition 50 is allowed to move forward, new maps will be in place from 2026 to 2030 before returning to the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
“Frivolous lawsuit, everything that was done in California was done consistent with the Constitution at the state level, with the United States Constitution, and with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said at a Wednesday press conference.
“First, I’d say it’s interesting that Donald Trump goes to Republicans in Texas and says, ‘Give me five seats,’ and Republicans say, ‘Yes, sir.’ They think that’s OK. The people of California who got to have a vote and a voice, Republicans don’t think that’s OK. I think that says everything about where Republicans stand,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Suzan DelBene told reporters Wednesday.
It is unclear whether the lawsuit will result in an injunction preventing Proposition 50 from going into effect. But the case could end up before the Supreme Court.