Republicans in California are taking Governor Gavin Newsom to court after his administration pushed through a controversial redistricting initiative that could give Democrats several new congressional seats.
The lawsuit, filed following the passage of Proposition 50, accuses Newsom of orchestrating a racially biased gerrymandering effort to benefit his party.
The measure, which the Democratic governor strongly supported, passed Tuesday night with 63.8% of voters in favor and 36.2% opposed.
With more than three-quarters of the expected votes counted, the result hands Democrats sweeping control over the state’s political map.
The proposal will allow the state to redraw district lines and potentially give Democrats as many as five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Newsom campaigned aggressively for Proposition 50, claiming it would allow Californians to “push back” against President Donald Trump’s policies and flip congressional seats to counterbalance his agenda.
Critics, however, say the move is a blatant power grab aimed at silencing conservative voices and entrenching one-party control in California.
Republicans immediately filed suit, asking the court to block implementation of the new district lines before they can affect upcoming midterm elections.
The complaint alleges that the redistricting process violates the 14th and 15th Amendments by dividing voters based on race, particularly to benefit Hispanic populations.
“While the Constitution entrusts states with designing congressional districts, the Supreme Court has also held that states may not, without a compelling reason backed by evidence that was in fact considered, separate citizens into different voting districts on the basis of race,” the lawsuit reads.
Assemblyman David Tangipa, who announced himself as the lead plaintiff during a Tuesday press conference, was joined by California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin and attorney Mike Columbo of the Dhillon Law Group. Eighteen California voters have also joined as co-plaintiffs.
Columbo argued that the redistricting plan “is designed to favor one race of California voters over others,” violating constitutional protections of equal treatment under the law.
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“This violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection, and the right under the 15th Amendment to not have one’s vote abridged on account of race,” he said.
The Newsom administration quickly fired back with a mocking response, dismissing the lawsuit outright.
“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. Good luck, losers,” Newsom’s office said in a statement.
Republican attorney Mark Meuser shot back on social media, telling the governor, “See you in court, Gavin. Time to defend your racial gerrymandering in federal court where you can’t hide behind judges you personally appointed.”
I guess Gavin Newsom forgets how many times @dhillonlaw has filed a lawsuit against him and his COVID policies and SCOTUS determined his actions were unconstitutional.
See you in Court Gavin. Time to defend your racial gerrymandering in Federal court where you can’t hide behind… https://t.co/XDvmVV4x22
— Mark Meuser (@MarkMeuser) November 5, 2025
The political fallout has already begun. The new map pits two longtime Republican lawmakers, Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim, against each other in the newly drawn 40th Congressional District.
Both have confirmed they plan to run in the same race, setting the stage for a heated GOP primary.
“Californians in the newly drawn 40th District deserve a proven conservative they can trust,” Calvert said in a statement announcing his campaign.
“I look forward to helping President Trump deliver lower taxes, to bring down housing costs, secure our borders, make our streets safe and bring real results to the families of this district for years to come.”
Kim, who highlighted her record as one of Congress’s top Republican fundraisers, noted she represents roughly 175,000 voters already located in the new district.
Her campaign pointed out that she currently represents both Orange and Riverside counties, giving her a built-in advantage heading into the race.
Meanwhile, President Trump denounced the entire redistricting process on Truth Social, accusing Democrats of rigging the system.
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM,” he wrote. “The entire process, in particular the voting itself, is RIGGED. All mail-in ballots, where Republicans are shut out, are under serious legal and criminal review.”
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Newsom accused Trump of trying to rig the midterm elections in advance of Tuesday’s vote.
He said Trump’s popularity was “historically low” and that his policies had left Americans “poorer and sicker.”
Newsom claimed the new redistricting law was needed to “protect democracy” from Trump’s influence.
“He knows he’ll lose the midterms, and he’s trying to change the rules and rig the game before one vote is cast,” Newsom said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back Tuesday, accusing the California governor of ignoring his own state’s election integrity issues.
“California has among the worst laws for securing elections in the entire nation,” she said.
“Governor Newscum and the rest of the radical Democrats in California blatantly refuse to adopt commonsense election integrity measures.”
They cheat and lie because they know they are going to lose. https://t.co/Z7hrNA1769
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 4, 2025
Leavitt also cited the state’s refusal to require voter ID and its reliance on mail-in voting.
“California mailed nearly 10 million mail-in ballots that were never returned,” she noted, adding that the Carter-Baker Commission once identified absentee voting as the largest potential source of voter fraud.
She pointed to further issues, including non-citizens voting in San Francisco and more than two million duplicate voter registrations across the state.
“California only removed 378,349 registered voters for death—well below the national average,” Leavitt added. “This is the definition of election mismanagement.”
