WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new voter-approved congressional map that is favorable to Democrats in this year’s elections, rejecting a last-ditch plea from state Republicans and the Trump administration.
No justices dissented from the brief order denying the appeal without explanation, which is common on the court's emergency docket.
The justices had previously allowed Texas’ Republican-friendly map to be used in 2026, despite a lower-court ruling that it likely discriminates on the basis of race.
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in December that it appeared both states had adopted new maps for political advantage, which the high court has previously ruled cannot be a basis for a federal lawsuit.
Republicans, joined by the Trump administration, claimed the California map improperly relied on race as well. But a lower court disagreed by a 2-1 vote. The Justice Department and White House did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The justices' unsigned order keeps in place districts that are designed to flip up to five seats now held by Republicans, part of a tit-for-tat nationwide redistricting battle spurred by President Donald Trump, with control of Congress on the line in midterm elections.
Last year, at Trump's behest, Texas Republicans redid the state's congressional districts with an eye on gaining five seats.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is eyeing a 2028 presidential run, pledged to respond in kind, though he had to win over voters, not just lawmakers, to do so.
Newsom celebrated the court's decision, saying on social media that Trump had “started this redistricting war” and would end up losing out in the November midterms, when control of Congress is at stake.
California's attorney general, Democrat Rob Bonta, said the decision was “good news not only for Californians, but for our democracy.”
The state Republican Party, which brought the case, vowed to keep fighting against the map's use in future elections.
"We will continue to vigorously argue for Equal Protection under the law for all of California’s voters,” Michael Columbo, counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement.
One longtime party strategist, Jon Fleishman, a former executive director of the California Republican Party, said in a post on X that the decision means “this year’s elections will take place on the new lines shrinking the already very small Republican delegation from California."
Filing for congressional primaries in California begins on Monday.
Associated Press writers Michael Blood in Los Angeles and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom reacts after being asked by local media about a potential run for the U.S. presidency following a news conference at the California High-Speed Rail Authority's 150-acre Southern Railhead site in the Wasco/Shafter area, where he announced the next phase of construction that will bring the state closer to passenger service with track installation between Merced and Bakersfield, in Wasco, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
The U.S. Supreme Court is photographed after a snowstorm Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
