This week, the Department of Justice joined a lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, alleging that California reshaped its congressional map not out of civic duty but partisan ambition.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division says California’s mapmakers aren’t hiding their intent. They charge that race was “used as a proxy” to engineer districts tilted toward Democrats.
And they argue the maneuver was meant to counter Texas’ redistricting battle, which produced a series of Republican-leaning seats.
“In the press, California’s legislators and governor sold a plan to promote the interests of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections,” the DOJ lawyers wrote. “But amongst themselves and on the debate floor, the focus was not partisanship, but race.”
The DOJ reminded the court that the Constitution “does not tolerate this racial gerrymander,” pointing to lawmakers’ remarks about creating a Latino-majority district to offset what they saw as Texas’ attempt to “silence the voices of Latino voters.”
Fox News noted that the federal government has the authority to enforce the Voting Rights Act, even as the law’s language remains contested and now sits before the Supreme Court in a separate Louisiana case.
California voters passed Proposition 50 on Election Day, clearing the way for the legislature to redraw districts that could flip five Republican seats. Newsom, in triumph, cast the ballot measure as California’s answer to Trump “trying to rig the midterm elections before one single vote is even cast.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi put it sharply on Thursday night’s Hannity: “They’re trying to create seats based on RACE! They can’t do it! And we’re going to hold them accountable!”
Watch the clip below:
Attorney General Pam Bondi on the DOJ suing California over the redistricting of Congressional seats: “They are flat out publicizing what they’re trying to do and why they’re trying to do it. They are trying to create [House seats] based on race, and they can’t do it. And we’re… pic.twitter.com/uYhf5dN4wy
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) November 14, 2025
