Feb. 4 (UPI) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a California Republican Party and Trump administration request to stop California from implementing its new redistricting map ahead of the midterm election.
The court issued a one-sentence ruling denying a writ of injunction pending the outcome of a federal appellate court ruling on the matter. The court did not provide an explanation or a vote total on the decision.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom welcomed news of the ruling in a social media post and cited the redistricting in Texas as spurring the change in California.
“[President] Donald Trump said he was ‘entitled’ to five more congressional seats in Texas,” Newsom said.
“He started this redistricting war,” he continued. “He lost, and he’ll lose again in November.”
Although the writ of injunction was denied, the ruling does not end legal challenges to the new map for California congressional districts that was approved by 64% of California voters on Nov. 4.
It does, however, increase the likelihood that the newly drawn districts will stay active during the Nov. 3 midterm election.
Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans, 43-9, among California’s congressional districts.
The new map gives California Democrats a potential gain of five congressional seats, which is equal to the number of new seats potentially favoring Republican candidates in Texas.
The Supreme Court has approved the redrawn congressional map in Texas.
A three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court of Central California in January refused to block the redistricting maps with a 2-1 ruling after the California GOP and the Trump administration argued that the new districts illegally are based on race.
One of the judges on that panel also sits on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, so the writ of injunction bypassed the appellate court and went to the Supreme Court.
The continued challenge to California’s redistricting largely focuses on the revised 13th Congressional District, which is located about 120 miles south of Sacramento and mostly encompasses agricultural communities.
The state GOP and Trump administration argue that the new district was drawn to give Hispanics greater voting power and, therefore, violates the equal protection clause in the Constitution.