The US Justice Department has entered the fray in a legal challenge initiated by California Republicans, aiming to halt the state's recently passed electoral boundaries.
This legal action, submitted to a US district court, challenges the redistricting plan supported by the state's Democratic governor, which was created in reaction against a GOP redistricting effort in Texas.
"The state's electoral map represents a blatant attempt to seize control that violates civil rights and undermines the democratic process," declared the US attorney general.
Democrats have expressed confidence that the redistricting plan will withstand court challenges.
"These opponents lost at the ballot box and they are likely to face defeat in the judicial system," commented a representative for the governor.
Constitutional Challenge
The lawsuit asserts that California's map improperly used race as a factor to heavily favor Hispanic voters in violation of the federal constitution.
"Race cannot be used as a proxy to further partisan goals, but that is precisely what the state legislature did with the redistricting measure," stated a senior official from the Civil Rights Division.
Political Context
The legal battle represents the major response by the Democratic party in the continuing political battle that started with Texas and has spread across various parts of the country.
Unlike other states, where GOP-controlled legislatures have implemented partisan maps, California's plan needed public consent, which it obtained with nearly 65% of the vote.
National Implications
The Democratic party need to gain just a handful of Republican-held House seats to gain majority of the chamber in next year's midterm election.
The political group controlling the controlling share will influence the remaining period of the sitting president's term, determining whether a unified Republican Congress will continue to deliver its political program or encounter opposition, investigations and possible additional obstacles.
- Legal counsel for the plaintiffs is being handled by a prominent law firm
- The managing partner currently serves as assistant attorney general
- However, this attorney has been removed from this particular case
