❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal court in California has set December 15 as the date to hear arguments about the state’s new congressional maps, which have been redrawn to favor the Democrats.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: California Republicans, voters, members of the Trump administration, Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, and Attorney General Rob Bonta.
📍WHEN & WHERE: December 15, 2023, at a Los Angeles court, overseen by a three-judge panel.
💬KEY QUOTE: Democrats have called the allegations “meritless.”
🎯IMPACT: The case could determine the legality of congressional maps, potentially impacting the makeup of the House of Representatives after the 2026 midterms.
A federal court in California has set oral arguments for December 15 on the state’s newly approved congressional maps, which were passed via Proposition 50 earlier this month and are widely seen as boosting Democrats’ chances of winning the House in the 2026 midterms.
The California Republican Party, joined by voters and Trump administration officials, has filed suit against Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber, claiming the maps unconstitutionally prioritize Democrat-leaning Latino voters at the expense of other racial groups. Democrats have called the lawsuit “meritless.”
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California had originally scheduled a hearing for next week, but agreed to Attorney General Rob Bonta’s request to push it to December 15. Bonta, defending Newsom and Weber, had first asked to delay until January 2026, per court filings.
A three-judge panel in Los Angeles will hear the case, and the ruling could shape how far California can go in drawing maps that appear to favor particular demographic groups in future elections.
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