California Republicans ask Supreme Court to stay new congressional map

California Republicans on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to block the state’s new congressional map before it is used in the midterm election, arguing that the redrawn districts are an illegal racial gerrymander. In an emergency filing, lawyers for the state Republican challengers said California had “expressly used race” to carve up voters into congressional districts and accused the state of doing so “under the guise of partisan line-drawing.” The party said the new map could eliminate as many as five Republican-held seats and significantly aid Democrats’ hopes of winning control of the House.

The filing in Tangipa v. Newsom comes after a divided three-judge panel in Los Angeles last week rejected the Republicans’ challenge and upheld the maps. Voters approved the plan in November as Proposition 50, a measure pushed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that California Democrats framed as a response to redistricting efforts in Republican-led states; the Times said both the California and Texas maps stem from President Trump’s push for redistricting before the midterms.

The emergency application does not yet appear on the Supreme Court’s docket and was addressed to Justice Elena Kagan. State Republicans asked the justices to reinstate the previous map while the case continues and requested a ruling by Feb. 9, citing the start of California’s candidate filing period.

Key Topics

Politics, Tangipa V. Newsom, California Republican Party, Supreme Court, Gavin Newsom, Racial Gerrymandering