California GOP to challenge redrawn congressional districts approved by voters in Prop 50 redistricting measure
By Cecilio Padilla
The California Republican Party said Wednesday it will sue to challenge the new congressional map approved by voters under Proposition 50.
The Dhillon Law Group, Assemblyman David Tangipa (R-Fresno), and other California GOP leaders announced the lawsuit the morning after Election Day.
Tangipa, the state GOP and more than a dozen registered California voters are listed as plaintiffs, while Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber are named as defendants.
The lawsuit argues that California’s new congressional map, approved under Prop. 50, is unconstitutional.
“Specifically, the California Legislature violated the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution when it drew new congressional district lines based on race, specifically to favor Hispanic voters, without cause or evidence to justify it,” the filing states.
The governor’s office reacted sharply to the lawsuit in a statement to CBS Sacramento.
“We haven’t reviewed the lawsuit, but if it’s from the California Republican Party and Harmeet Dhillon’s law firm, it’s going to fail,” Newsom’s office stated.
Dhillon is a conservative attorney, a former California Republican Party official, and the founder of the Dhillon Law Group. She has represented GOP causes in high-profile legal battles and now serves as the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
CBS News projected Tuesday that California voters passed Prop. 50. Votes are still being counted, but the Yes vote was ahead by a 63.8% to 36.2% margin as of Wednesday morning.
Prop. 50 aimed to make several GOP-held congressional districts in California more competitive for Democrats in the 2026 midterms, as a counter to Republican-favored redistricting in states like Texas.
California Republicans have previously tried to block Prop. 50, including an emergency petition to the California Supreme Court. The petition, which was also filed by the Dhillon Law Group, was denied.
