Supreme Court Allows California Redistricting Map for 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to block California's new congressional district map, clearing the way for its use in the 2026 midterm elections and potentially shifting up to five House seats toward Democrats. The unsigned order, issued without explanation or recorded dissents, rejected an emergency request from California Republicans and the Trump administration, following a lower court's refusal to halt the plan.

The map stems from Proposition 50, a ballot measure approved by more than 60 percent of California voters in November 2025. The proposition dismantled the state's independent redistricting commission, established after the 2010 census to curb partisan influence, and empowered the Democratic-controlled legislature to redraw boundaries. Lawmakers adopted the new lines in response to similar efforts in Republican-led states, aiming to reflect demographic shifts and counter potential Republican gains elsewhere.

California officials described the redistricting as a necessary adjustment to maintain fair representation, while opponents, including the state Republican Party and the U.S. Department of Justice, argued it constituted an unconstitutional racial...