The California Supreme Court allows the use of congressional districts that favor Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new voter-approved congressional map that is favorable to Democrats in this year’s elections, rejecting a recent petition from state Republicans and the Trump administration.

No justices objected to the summary order dismissing the appeal without explanation, as is common in the court’s emergency docket.

Read more: Federal judges are allowing California to use the new U.S. House map before the 2026 midterm elections

The justices had previously allowed the Republican-friendly Texas map to be used in 2026, despite a lower court ruling that it likely discriminated on the basis of race.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in December that the two states appeared to have adopted new maps for political gain, which the Supreme Court previously ruled could not be the basis of a federal lawsuit.

Republicans, joined by the Trump administration, have claimed that California’s map is incorrectly based on race as well. But the Court of First Instance objected to the decision by a majority of 2-1. The Justice Department and the White House did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The justices’ unsigned order leaves in place districts that were designed to flip up to five seats now held by Republicans, as part of a nationwide redistricting battle launched by President Donald Trump, with control of Congress at stake in the midterm elections.

Read more: California Republicans are preparing to shrink representation under Newsom’s redistricting plan

Last year, at Trump’s request, Texas Republicans realigned the state’s congressional districts with the goal of winning five seats.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat eyeing a run for president in 2028, pledged to respond in kind, though he had to win over voters, not just lawmakers, to do so.

Newsom celebrated the court’s decision, saying on social media that Trump had “started a redistricting war” and would end up losing in November’s midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake.

The California Republican Party, which filed the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One longtime party strategist, John Fleishman, former executive director of the California Republican Party, said in an

Filing for California’s congressional primary begins Monday.

Associated Press writers Michael Blood in Los Angeles and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.