SCOTUS approves Calif. new congressional map boosting Democrats – One America Information Community

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OAN Workers Katherine Mosack8:45 PM – Thursday, February 5, 2026

The USA Supreme Court docket gave California the inexperienced mild to make use of a brand new voter-approved congressional map that considerably favors Democrats, rejecting an enchantment from state Republicans and the Trump administration.

The court docket additionally acknowledged on Wednesday that the map, which is able to more than likely give Democrats 5 extra seats within the Home of Representatives, will go into impact earlier than the 2026 midterm elections. California Republicans had requested to proceed utilizing the present map.

The order additionally follows the court docket’s choice to permit Texas to make use of a brand new map that will enable Republicans to choose up 5 extra Home seats, which prompted the California measure.

In Abbott v. League of United Latin American Residents, the decrease court docket agreed with the plaintiffs that the “legislature’s motive was predominantly racial.” Nonetheless, the bulk put that ruling on maintain in December, with Justice Alito stating in his opinion that “it's indeniable … that the impetus for the adoption of the Texas map (just like the map subsequently adopted in California) was partisan benefit pure and easy.”

As Texas labored to approve its new map, California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced the Proposition 50 poll initiative, which was handed in a particular election in November. This amended the state Structure to permit a brand new map for use from 2026 by 2030.

Shortly after, the challengers went to court docket to try to dam using the map, arguing that it violated the Structure by relying too closely on race by drawing 16 congressional districts that favored Latino voters.

A divided three-judge court docket declined the request to proceed with the previous map. U.S. District Choose Josephine Staton concluded “that the proof of any racial motivation driving redistricting is exceptionally weak, whereas the proof of partisan motivations is overwhelming.”

In Tangipa v. Newsom in late January, challengers argued within the Supreme Court docket that the state’s purpose had been “offsetting a perceived racial gerrymander in Texas.” They famous that Paul Mitchell, who drew the brand new map, “boasted publicly and on social media” that the brand new map “would preserve, if not broaden, Latino voting energy in California.”

“Beneath the guise of partisan line-drawing, California expressly used race because the ‘predominant issue’ in inserting ‘a major variety of voters inside or with out’ Congressional District 13,” the Republicans wrote. “If left uncorrected, this pernicious and unconstitutional use of race will irreparably hurt candidates and the general public.”

The state countered that its challengers have been “asking the Court docket to deal with California’s map in another way from the way it handled Texas’s map, thereby permitting a Republican-led State to interact in partisan gerrymandering whereas forbidding a Democratic-led State from responding in type.”

Justices dominated in favor of the state in a one- sentence order.

The Supreme Court docket on Wednesday allowed California to make use of a brand new congressional map that voters accepted, delivering a significant victory for Democrats forward of this yr’s midterm elections.As one of many plaintiffs within the case I'm sorely dissatisfied pic.twitter.com/jswBOpOgjd