The US Justice Department have officially joined a legal challenge brought forward by California Republicans, seeking to halt the California's recently passed congressional redistricting map.
This legal action, filed in federal court, challenges the redistricting plan championed by the state's Democratic governor, which was created in response to a GOP redistricting effort in Texas.
"The state's redistricting scheme represents a brazen power grab that violates voting rights and mocks the electoral system," declared the US attorney general.
Democrats have voiced assurance that the new maps will survive court challenges.
"The plaintiffs were defeated in the election and they are likely to also lose in court," commented a representative for the governor.
Constitutional Challenge
The lawsuit asserts that California's map improperly used race as a factor to significantly advantage Latino communities in contravention of the US Constitution.
"Race cannot be used as a substitute to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with the redistricting measure," argued a high-ranking representative from the DOJ's civil rights unit.
Political Context
The legal battle constitutes the major response by Democrats in the continuing redistricting war that started with Texas and has spread across various parts of the country.
Unlike other states, where Republican state legislatures have implemented partisan maps, California's plan needed voter approval, which it received with approximately two-thirds of the vote.
Wider Consequences
The Democratic party need to gain just a small number of Republican-held House seats to take control of the House of Representatives in next year's congressional elections.
The political group controlling the controlling share will shape the final years of the current administration, deciding if a GOP-controlled legislature will persist in implementing its political program or encounter opposition, investigations and potential additional obstacles.
- Legal representation for the plaintiffs is being handled by a prominent law firm
- The managing partner currently holds the position of assistant attorney general
- Nevertheless, this attorney has been recused from the current litigation
