California Republicans Sue Over Prop 50 Redistricting, Claiming It Unconstitutionally Boosts Hispanic Power
The California Republican Party, alongside state Rep. David Tangipa and 18 voters, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging the newly approved congressional map enacted under Proposition 50. The lawsuit, spearheaded by the Dhillon Law Group, alleges that the map — drawn and pushed by California Democrats — violates the 14th and 15th Amendments by prioritizing race in order to expand Hispanic political power.
The case marks a swift legal response to Tuesday’s vote, in which over 64% of Californians approved Prop 50 — a measure that shifts control of congressional redistricting from an independent citizens’ commission to the Democrat-led state legislature through at least 2030. Critics have labeled it a partisan power grab aimed at offsetting GOP gains in Texas.
Legal Challenge: “Equal Protection” and the Gingles Test
“This violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law,” said Dhillon Law Group attorney Mike Columbo during a press conference. “The chief consultant admitted that his first priority was increasing Latino voting power — that’s race-based redistricting, plain and simple.”
The lawsuit also cites the 15th Amendment, which prohibits the abridgment of voting rights based on race. Attorneys argue that while the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1986 Gingles decision allows redistricting to empower minority groups under certain conditions, Prop 50 fails that test. In particular, the suit emphasizes that Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in California and no longer meet the criteria as a “racial minority” under federal precedent.
“Gingles cannot be used as a shield to gerrymander when the group in question is not marginalized but holds statewide demographic dominance,” added GOP Senate candidate and Dhillon Law Group attorney Mark Meuser.
According to the complaint, Proposition 50 expanded the number of Latino-leaning congressional districts from 14 to 16 — out of the state’s 52 total. Republicans argue that this was done at the expense of Asian, Black, and non-Hispanic white voters.
Political Motive and National Ramifications
Democrats have made no secret of the motive behind Prop 50. Gov. Gavin Newsom and national party allies have framed it as a counterpunch to Texas’s GOP-led redistricting, which is expected to net Republicans five more House seats. Prop 50 is anticipated to give Democrats five more seats of their own — potentially flipping control of the U.S. House in 2026.
Newsom, joined by high-profile Democrats including Barack Obama and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, campaigned heavily for Prop 50, which suspends the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and hands redistricting power directly to the legislature.
President Trump sharply criticized Prop 50 after Tuesday’s results were announced. “This is a giant scam,” he said on Truth Social, accusing California Democrats of abusing mail-in voting systems to “shut out” Republicans. While he did not mention the new lawsuit directly, he promised “very serious legal and criminal review.”
Republican Voices Speak Out
Rep. Tangipa, one of the plaintiffs and the first Polynesian elected to the California legislature, condemned the map as divisive and discriminatory.
“What we have seen with Prop 50 completely diminishes the voices of some communities just to benefit others,” he said. “This is not how democracy works. All Californians deserve fair representation — not gerrymandered lines created to score partisan points.”
The suit could set the stage for a high-profile legal showdown with national implications. Several other states, including Texas and Florida, have also enacted new land and voting laws that are expected to face court challenges.
Should the courts rule against Prop 50, it could trigger a redrawing of the maps before the 2026 midterms — and reshape the balance of power in Congress.