California’s Supreme Court has shut down a Republican effort to stop Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps—a move he says is meant to counter Republican gains in Texas.
The high court rejected the challenge on Wednesday, issuing a brief but clear explanation: “Petitioners have failed to meet their burden of establishing a basis for relief.”
The decision came just hours after Texas Republicans pushed through new congressional maps expected to give them five more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Critics say it’s part of a larger GOP strategy to hold onto power before the 2026 midterm elections.
Governor Newsom, a Democrat, is hitting back. He’s called out Texas for gerrymandering and has promised to redraw California’s maps to cancel out the GOP’s advantage. Other states are watching closely—and some may follow suit.
The rejected lawsuit was filed by four Republican lawmakers: state Senators Tony Strickland and Suzette Martinez Valladares, and Assemblymembers Tri Ta and Kathryn Sanchez. They filed the suit just two days after Democrats in Sacramento introduced the new redistricting plan.
Despite the court loss, Republicans aren’t backing down. “We will continue to challenge this unconstitutional power grab in the courts and at the ballot box,” they said in a statement. “Californians deserve fair, transparent elections, not secret backroom deals to protect politicians.”
This fight is far from over. What started in Texas has now escalated into a national redistricting battle—one with high stakes for control of Congress.
