Federal Court Upholds California Congressional Map, Bolstering Dems’ Chances of Retaking the House

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a campaign event on Proposition 50, Nov. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles.Ethan Swope/AP

In a big win for Democrats, a federal court panel on Wednesday upheld a new voter-approved congressional map in California that was designed to give Democrats five new seats in the U.S. House, offsetting the mid-decade gerrymander passed by Texas Republicans over the summer.

Republicans challenged the map after voters overwhelmingly approved it last November, arguing that it was a racial gerrymander intended to benefit Hispanic voters. But Judge Josephine Staton, an appointee of President Barack Obama, and District Judge Wesley Hsu, an appointee of........

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