California GOP Sues Over Democrat-Drawn Congressional Map Designed To ‘Increase Power’ Of Hispanics

California Republicans filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, arguing that the Democrat-drawn congressional map approved by voters Tuesday night unconstitutionally favors Hispanics.

The Dhillon Law Group filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California Republican Party, state Rep. David Tangipa, and 18 California voters. The lawsuit argues that Proposition 50 violates the Equal Protection Clause. Harmeet Dhillon led the Dhillon Law Group before President Donald Trump tapped her to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division earlier this year.

“This violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law, and the right under the 15th Amendment to not have one’s vote abridged on account of race,” Dhillon Law Group partner Mike Columbo said at a press conference. “When drawing the Proposition 50 map, the chief consultant who drew the map has stated that the first thing that he did was to increase the power of Latino voters.”

“Additionally, the state legislature has announced that the maps increase the power of Latino voters,” Columbo added.

Voters overwhelmingly approved Prop 50 on Tuesday with 64% support. The measure was placed on the ballot after the Democratic-led state legislature approved new congressional maps in response to Texas passing a new map that will likely give Republicans five more House seats. With Proposition 50’s passage, Democrats have likely added five more U.S. House seats for their party.

President Trump said on Tuesday that Prop 50 was a “giant scam,” adding, “All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review.” It’s unclear if Trump’s threat of legal action was in reference to the lawsuit filed by Republicans on Wednesday.

According to the complaint, Proposition 50 expanded the number of districts where Hispanic voters are likely to play a decisive role, rising from 14 to 16 of California’s 52 congressional districts. In a 1986 ruling, the Supreme Court established a three-part test, known as the “Gingles Test,” to allow states to redraw district lines to give racial minorities greater influence over who is elected to represent them. The Republican lawsuit claims that California’s new map does not meet the requirements of the Gingles Test since Hispanics make up the largest ethnic group in California and are not a racial minority in the Golden State.

“We believe that the Supreme Court Gingles Test cannot be satisfied by the state, as such under the 14th and 15th Amendments, the maps drawn by Prop 50 will be considered unconstitutional,” said Dhillon Law Group attorney Mark Meuser, who was the GOP Senate candidate in California in 2022.

Rep. Tangipa said he is “appalled” by the Democratic-led legislature and Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom pushing Proposition 50.

“As the first Polynesian elected ever to the state legislature, I understand the diversity and the beauty that this state has, and what we have seen with Prop 50, these maps, they are completely diminishing the voices of [some] groups to benefit other groups,”  Tangipa said.