The Supreme Court cleared the way for California to use a newly approved congressional map that favors Democrats in this year’s elections. Shutting down a final legal challenge from state Republicans and the Trump administration. The judges issued a brief, unanimous order without explanation. A routine move on the court’s emergency list, and left intact a lower-court ruling that rejected claims the map relied improperly on race.
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The decision keeps districts in place that could flip up to five Republican-held seats, intensifying a national redistricting standoff with control of Congress at stake. The battle traces back to Texas, where Republicans redrew maps to gain seats at President Trump’s urging. This led to California Governor Gavin Newsom to push a voter-approved counteroffensive. Democrats hailed the ruling as a victory for democracy. Meanwhile California Republicans vowed to continue fighting the map in future elections, warning it will further shrink their already limited representation in the state.
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a campaign event on Proposition 50, Nov. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)
Reference
Sherman, M. (2026, February 4). Supreme Court allows new California congressional map. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-california-congressional-maps-8362a34b739ea91d37a190eee1b6a6d1?user_email=bd2c428b35d2f2d999bc6f7e665bad1355a8dd3247b2afc8121729c30cd9a01a&utm_medium=APNews_Alerts&utm_source=Sailthru_AP&utm_campaign=NewsAlert_Feb04_2026_02:06PM&utm_term=AP%20News%20Alerts