Supreme Court lets California use new congressional map in midterms, rejecting bid to block it

Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to block California's new congressional map that could net Democrats five seats in the upcoming midterm elections.

Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to block California's new congressional map that could net Democrats five seats in the upcoming midterm elections.

The decision from the high court clears the way for California to use for now the newly drawn lines for most of its 52 House districts in this year's congressional elections. There were no noted dissents.

The map was crafted in response to a rare mid-decade redistricting by Texas Republicans last year, which aimed to help the GOP maintain its control of the lower chamber in Congress. California officials sought to draw a map that would see Democrats pick up five seats in the House, which would offset the five seats that were newly crafted in Texas to favor Republicans. 

California voters backed a ballot measure known as Proposition 50 in November, which enacted the new lines for many of the state's congressional districts through the end of the decade.

But shortly after voters approved the map, a group of California Republicans filed a lawsuit alleging that the voting boundaries are unconstitutional. The plaintiffs alleged that the state legislature relied predominantly on race in the mapmaking process and drew several House district lines to favor Latino voters, which violated the 14th and 15th Amendments.