Justice Department sues to block California US House map in clash that
could tip control of Congress
[November 14, 2025]
By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL R. BLOOD
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday sued to block new
congressional district boundaries approved by California voters last
week, joining a court battle that could help determine which party wins
control of the U.S. House in 2026.
The complaint filed in California federal court targets the new
congressional map pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in response to
a similar Republican-led effort in Texas backed by President Donald
Trump. It sets the stage for a high-stakes legal and political fight
between the Republican administration and the Democratic governor, who's
seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender.
“California’s redistricting scheme is a brazen power grab that tramples
on civil rights and mocks the democratic process,” Attorney General Pam
Bondi said in an emailed statement. “Governor Newsom’s attempt to
entrench one-party rule and silence millions of Californians will not
stand.”
Newsom spokesperson Brandon Richards said in a statement, “These losers
lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court.”
The legal move against heavily Democratic California marks the first
time the Justice Department has sued over a flurry of unusual,
mid-decade House map revisions across the country that were drawn to
maximize partisan advantage in advance of next year's elections.
Three Republican-led states — Texas, along with Missouri and North
Carolina — have not faced federal legal action after revamping district
lines following Trump's call for new maps to expand GOP numbers in the
House. Civil rights advocates have argued that the new boundaries in
Texas and Missouri illegally disadvantage minority communities at the
ballot box.
California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, a
constitutional amendment changing the congressional boundaries to give
Democrats a shot at winning five seats now held by Republicans in next
year's midterm elections.
The Justice Department is joining a case challenging the new map that
was brought by the California Republican Party last week. The Trump
administration accuses California of racial gerrymandering in violation
of the Constitution by using race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters
with the new map. It asks a judge to prohibit California from using the
new map in any future elections.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a rally with Harris
County Democrats at the IBEW local 716 union hall on Saturday, Nov.
8, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren, File)
“Race cannot be used as a proxy to advance political interests, but that
is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Proposition
50 — the recent ballot initiative that junked California’s pre-existing
electoral map in favor of a rush-job rejiggering of California’s
congressional district lines,” the lawsuit says.
Prop 50 was Newsom's response to Trump’s maneuvers in Texas, where
Republicans rejiggered districts in hopes of picking up five seats of
their own ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when House control will
be on the line.
Democrats need to gain just a handful of seats next year to take control
of the chamber, which would imperil Trump's agenda for the remainder of
his term and open the way for congressional investigations into his
administration. Republicans hold 219 seats, to Democrats’ 214.
The showdown between the nation’s two most populous states has spread
nationally, with Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio adopting new district
lines that could provide a partisan advantage. Other states are
considering similar moves.
The national implications of California’s ballot measure were clear in
both the money it attracted and the high-profile figures who became
involved. Tens of millions of dollars flowed into the race, including a
$5 million donation to opponents from the Congressional Leadership Fund,
the super political action committee tied to House Speaker Mike Johnson,
R-La.
Former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opposed it, while former
President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appeared in ads supporting it,
calling it a “smart” approach to counter Republican moves aimed at
safeguarding House control.
The contest provided Newsom with a national platform and he has
confirmed he will consider a White House run in 2028.
___
Richer reported from Chicago.
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