Supreme Court Clears Way for California Voting Map

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined an emergency request from the California Republican Party and cleared the way for the state to use a new congressional map in the midterm elections. The order gave no vote count or reasoning, as is typical in such emergency decisions.

The map, approved by California voters in a special election in November, was drawn to help Democrats and was defended by state leaders after a divided federal appeals panel upheld it. A district judge wrote that the evidence showed the map was a political gerrymander intended to flip five Republican-held seats.

Challengers argued the map was tainted by racial gerrymandering to bolster Latino voters, and the Trump administration’s solicitor general filed a brief supporting that challenge. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber denied the racial intent, noting the number of Latino-majority districts remained unchanged.

supreme court, california republican party, congressional map, midterm elections, special election, divided federal appeals panel, political gerrymander, racial gerrymandering, gavin newsom, shirley weber