Republicans file lawsuit to block California’s new voter-approved congressional map

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Republicans filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to block a new U.S. House map that California voters decisively approved on the ballot.

Proposition 50, backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, is designed to help Democrats flip up to five House seats in next year’s midterm elections. The lawsuit alleges that mapmakers illegally used race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters, and asks the court to block the new boundaries before the 2026 election. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The lawsuit was brought by Dhillon Law Group, a California-based firm founded by Harmeet Dhillon, who now serves as assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice.

“The map is designed to favor one race of voters in California over others,” Mike Colombo, whose plaintiffs include a Republican state lawmaker and 18 other electors, said at a news conference on Wednesday. “This violates the Fourteenth Amendment, the guarantee of equal protection under the law, and a right under the Fifteenth Amendment.”

Read more: What’s next in the national redistricting battle after California approved a new map for the U.S. House of Representatives

Newsom’s office said in a social media post that the state has not reviewed the lawsuit but is confident the challenge will fail.

“Good luck losers,” the post read.

It is unclear whether a three-judge panel that will meet to consider such cases will grant a temporary restraining order before Dec. 19, the date when candidates can begin collecting voter signatures to reduce their registration fee costs. It’s essentially the first step to officially running in the 2026 midterm elections. Colombo said he hopes to have a decision in the coming weeks.

Republicans have filed several lawsuits in California to block the Democrats’ plan, with little success so far.