Court is asked again to kill maps

With a new argument, Republicans return to state justices to stop redistricting plan.

- LAURA J. NELSON AND SONJA SHARP

THE LAWSUIT names California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and the Legislature as defendants.

California Republicans again asked the state Supreme Court on Monday to block Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan from the November ballot, arguing that the hastily assembled initiative violates the state Constitution.

In a 432-page lawsuit, Republican lawmakers said the effort by Democrats to unwind the state's nonpartisan congressional districts is a violation of Californians’ rights to fair and nonpartisan electoral maps. The party made a similar argument last week in an emergency petition to the court that was denied without a hearing.

The ballot measure was crafted by Democrats as a retaliatory strike against the GOP-led Texas Legislature, which has passed new congressional districts that could help Republicans pick up five seats in the 2026 midterm elections.

The California plan, which is headed to voters Nov. 4 under the name Proposition 50, would throw out the state's nonpartisan maps in favor of boundaries that would tilt the scales for Democrats.