The US Justice Department has entered the fray in a lawsuit brought forward by California Republicans, aiming to halt the state's recently passed electoral boundaries.
This court case, submitted to a US district court, targets the redistricting plan supported by the state's Democratic governor, which was developed in reaction against a GOP redistricting effort in Texas.
"The state's redistricting scheme constitutes a blatant attempt to seize control that tramples on civil rights and undermines the electoral system," stated the US attorney general.
Democrats have voiced assurance that the redistricting plan will survive legal scrutiny.
"These opponents were defeated in the election and they are likely to face defeat in the judicial system," stated a representative for the governor.
Legal Basis
The lawsuit asserts that California's map wrongfully utilized race as a factor to heavily favor Hispanic voters in violation of the federal constitution.
"It is unconstitutional to use race as a substitute to further partisan goals, but that is precisely what the state legislature did with Proposition 50," stated a senior official from the DOJ's civil rights unit.
Broader Implications
The legal battle represents the major response by the Democratic party in the ongoing political battle that started with Texas and has spread across multiple states.
In contrast to elsewhere, where Republican state legislatures have implemented partisan maps, California's plan needed voter approval, which it obtained with approximately two-thirds of the vote.
National Implications
The Democratic party need to gain just a small number of GOP-controlled House seats to gain majority of the chamber in next year's midterm election.
The political group controlling the controlling share will influence the final years of the sitting president's term, determining whether a GOP-controlled legislature will persist in implementing its political program or face resistance, congressional probes and possible additional obstacles.
- Legal counsel for the plaintiffs is being handled by a prominent law firm
- The firm's founder currently holds the position of assistant attorney general
- Nevertheless, this individual has been removed from the current litigation
