The US Justice Department have officially joined a lawsuit initiated by California Republicans, aiming to prevent the California's recently passed congressional redistricting map.
This legal action, submitted to a US district court, targets the map championed by the state's Democratic governor, which was created in reaction against a Republican-led gerrymander in Texas.
"California's electoral map constitutes a brazen power grab that violates civil rights and undermines the democratic process," stated the US attorney general.
Democrats have expressed confidence that the redistricting plan will survive legal scrutiny.
"These opponents were defeated in the election and soon they will also lose in court," stated a representative for the governor.
Constitutional Challenge
The lawsuit claims that California's map wrongfully utilized race as a factor to significantly advantage Hispanic voters in violation of the US Constitution.
"It is unconstitutional to use race as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is exactly what the California General Assembly did with Proposition 50," argued a senior official from the DOJ's civil rights unit.
Political Context
The legal battle constitutes the major response by Democrats in the ongoing political battle that began in Texas and has extended to multiple states.
Unlike other states, where GOP-controlled legislatures have enacted gerrymanders, California's plan needed voter approval, which it obtained with approximately two-thirds of the vote.
Wider Consequences
Democrats need to flip just a handful of Republican-held House seats to gain majority of the House of Representatives in next year's midterm election.
The party that holds the majority will shape the remaining period of the current administration, determining whether a unified Republican Congress will continue to deliver its political program or face resistance, investigations and potential further challenges.
- Legal counsel for the challengers is being provided by a well-known legal group
- The managing partner currently holds the position of senior DOJ official
- Nevertheless, this individual has been removed from this particular case
