The US Justice Department has officially joined a lawsuit brought forward by California Republicans, seeking to prevent the state's newly approved congressional redistricting map.
This court case, submitted to a US district court, targets the map supported by the state's Democratic governor, which was created in reaction against a GOP redistricting effort in Texas.
"California's redistricting scheme constitutes a brazen power grab that tramples on civil rights and undermines the democratic process," stated the US attorney general.
The Democratic party have voiced assurance that the redistricting plan will survive court challenges.
"These opponents lost at the ballot box and they are likely to also lose in court," commented a representative for the governor.
Constitutional Challenge
The legal challenge asserts that California's map improperly used racial considerations to heavily favor Hispanic voters in violation of the US Constitution.
"Race cannot be used as a substitute to further partisan goals, but that is precisely what the state legislature did with Proposition 50," argued a high-ranking representative from the DOJ's civil rights unit.
Broader Implications
The legal battle represents the major response by Democrats in the continuing redistricting war that began in Texas and has extended to various parts of the country.
In contrast to elsewhere, where GOP-controlled legislatures have implemented partisan maps, California's plan required public consent, which it received with approximately two-thirds of the vote.
National Implications
Democrats need to flip just a small number of GOP-controlled House seats to take control of the House of Representatives in next year's congressional elections.
The party that holds the controlling share will shape the remaining period of the current administration, deciding if a unified Republican Congress will continue to deliver its agenda or face resistance, congressional probes and possible further challenges.
- Legal counsel for the challengers is being handled by a well-known legal group
- The firm's founder currently holds the position of senior DOJ official
- Nevertheless, this attorney has been removed from the current litigation
