California GOP Seeks Court Block on Newsom’s Redistricting Election

• Aug 26, 2025

California’s redistricting battle has escalated after state Republicans filed an emergency petition to block a special election on Governor Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan. The petition, lodged with the California Supreme Court, aims to prevent the measure from appearing on the November ballot.

The plan, which Newsom signed into law last week, would redraw California’s congressional map in a way that strengthens Democrats in at least five Republican-held districts. Supporters argue the move is a necessary counter to Texas Republicans, who recently reshaped their own maps to secure five new GOP-leaning districts under pressure from former President Donald Trump.

But opponents say California’s approach undermines the state constitution and the independent citizens’ redistricting commission, which voters created nearly two decades ago to keep politics out of map drawing. The 432-page petition, filed by the Dhillon Law Group on behalf of GOP lawmakers, accuses Democrats of rushing the law through without the required 30-day public review period. It also argues that the plan improperly takes authority away from voters and the independent commission, while raising concerns over redrawing maps mid-decade.

Republicans further claim the measure violates California’s single-subject rule for ballot initiatives, since it combines a congressional map overhaul with a separate call for Congress to require redistricting commissions nationwide.

Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland vowed to continue challenging the measure, saying Democrats had broken constitutional safeguards. “As long as I have breath in my body, I am going to fight every step of the way,” he said, pledging to take the fight back to court at every opportunity.

This is not the first attempt by Republicans to stop the proposal. A similar petition was filed before the plan passed, but the state’s high court declined to intervene at that stage. Now, GOP leaders are urging the court to act before ballots are finalized.

If voters approve the measure in November, the new maps would apply for the next three election cycles. Analysts say this could give Democrats a stronger chance of reclaiming the U.S. House by 2026, since Republicans currently hold a slim majority and Democrats need only a handful of seats to flip control.

Newsom and state Democrats argue the process remains fair, since the plan must go before voters — unlike Texas, where lawmakers redrew boundaries without a public vote. They frame the effort as a defensive step against what they call a broader national strategy by Trump and GOP leaders to cement Republican dominance in Congress.