DOJ joins lawsuit against California over new congressional map

The Department of Justice on Thursday joined a lawsuit against California over its new congressional map that voters approved last week.

The DOJ is joining a lawsuit first brought by the California Republican Party last week, The Associated Press reported. The department alleges that California unconstitutionally used racial gerrymandering when considering race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters with the new map. The DOJ asks the judge to prohibit the state from using the new map for future elections.

“Race cannot be used as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Proposition 50 — the recent ballot initiative that junked California’s pre-existing electoral map in favor of a rush-job rejiggering of California’s congressional district lines,” the lawsuit reads.

The new congressional map was pushed by California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, after President Trump started a GOP effort to redistrict Republican-led states to give his party the advantage in next year's elections.

“California’s redistricting scheme is a brazen power grab that tramples on civil rights and mocks the democratic process,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told the AP in a statement. “Governor Newsom’s attempt to entrench one-party rule and silence millions of Californians will not stand.”

Last week, California voters approved Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment changing the congressional map to give Democrats a chance at winning five seats currently held by Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.