The US Justice Department have officially joined a lawsuit initiated by California Republicans, aiming to prevent the California's newly approved congressional redistricting map.
This court case, submitted to federal 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 redistricting scheme constitutes a blatant attempt to seize control that tramples on civil rights and mocks the electoral system," stated the US attorney general.
Democrats have expressed confidence that the redistricting plan will survive legal scrutiny.
"The plaintiffs lost at the ballot box and they are likely to also lose in court," commented a representative for the governor.
Constitutional Challenge
The lawsuit asserts that California's map improperly used racial considerations to heavily favor Hispanic voters in violation of the federal constitution.
"Race cannot be used as a substitute to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Proposition 50," stated a high-ranking representative from the DOJ's civil rights unit.
Broader Implications
The legal battle constitutes the major response by Democrats in the ongoing political battle that began in Texas and has spread across various parts of the country.
Unlike other states, where Republican state legislatures have implemented partisan maps, California's plan required voter approval, which it received with approximately two-thirds of the vote.
National Implications
The Democratic party need to gain just a handful of GOP-controlled House seats to gain majority of the chamber in next year's midterm election.
The political group controlling the majority will influence the final years of the sitting president's term, deciding if a GOP-controlled legislature will persist in implementing its agenda or face resistance, investigations and potential additional obstacles.
- Legal representation for the plaintiffs is being handled by a prominent law firm
- The firm's founder currently serves as assistant attorney general
- However, this attorney has been recused from this particular case
