US Justice Department sues California to block new House map favouring Democrats | World News
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a rally with Harris County Democrats at the IBEW local 716 union hall in Houston. (AP Photo)
The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the state of California in order to block new congressional drict boundaries maps, which was approved the state’s voters last week, joining a court battle which could determine which party would control the US House of Representatives in 2026, AP reported.
The petition has been filed US President Donald Trump’s adminration in the California federal court against the new congressional map pushed Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in response to a similar effort led a Republican governor in Texas backed President Trump. The case sets a court battle stage between the Republican adminration and the Democratic governor who’s being projected as a likely 2028 presidential contender.
In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “California’s redricting scheme is a brazen power grab that tramples on civil rights and mocks the democratic process. Governor Newsom’s attempt to entrench one-party rule and silence millions of Californians will not stand.”
Today @TheJusticeDept sued @CAgovernor over his brazen Proposition 50 redricting power grab.Newsom should be concerned about keeping Californians safe and shutting down Antifa violence, not rigging his state for political gain.https://t.co/Vi2WAS7VX4— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) November 13, 2025
The redricting bill of California, known as Proposition 50, was overwhelmingly passed the state’s voters last week, giving the ruling Democrats an advantage in five new congressional dricts. Governor Newsom’s spokesperson Brandon Richards, in a statement said, “These losers lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court.”
After Trump made the call to redrict three Republican-led states — Texas, along with Missouri and North Carolina, no federal legal action was carried out. The US president has called for an increase in the GOP numbers in the House of Representatives. The case against redricting maps was brought in the California Republican Party last week and it has been joined the Justice Department.
The justice department’s prosecutors have accused the Democratic governor and Secretary of State Shirley Weber of mandating “racially gerrymandered congressional dricts”, which according to the federal prosecutors is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.
(with inputs from AP)
