This week — in another court win that deals a blow to President Donald Trump’s power grab — the California Supreme Court denied Republicans’ attempt to block Democrats’ redistricting plan – not just once, but twice. 

With the GOP gerrymandering the Texas congressional map to squeeze out five more Republican seats in Congress at Trump’s behest, California is the first blue state to step forward with a counter move. 

California Democrats put together their own proposed congressional map to even the playing field. They’re asking voters in November to approve a ballot measure allowing the state to respond to the Texas scheme by redrawing five seats.

California Republicans quickly sued to stop lawmakers from voting on the legislation, then to block the measure from the ballot. Both efforts were denied by the state Supreme Court. 

Notably, the law firm representing the GOP in both filings was founded by U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who runs DOJ’s civil rights division. 

Meanwhile, two separate groups of Texas plaintiffs have filed motions asking a federal court to issue a preliminary injunction against the GOP gerrymander and order the state to use the current 2021 map (which is also being challenged as a racial gerrymander) for next year’s election. Read more about the redistricting battles here.

Louisiana and Alabama both submitted legal filings this week that not only risk diluting the voting strength of minority voters in those states, but also pose grave threats to the Voting Rights Act (VRA) for the country as a whole. 

Louisiana filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the ongoing, massively consequential Callais v. Landry case. 

The state will no longer defend its own map, now arguing that race-based redistricting under Section 2 of the VRA is unconstitutional and violates the Equal Protection Clause. Louisiana said the map should be struck down under the same reasoning the Supreme Court used to end race-based college admissions. 

"These violations of basic equal protection principles ended race-based admissions programs. They should also end race-based redistricting,” the state argued, ultimately concluding: "Louisiana wants out of this abhorrent system of racial discrimination.”

Louisiana also made the case that racial discrimination in voting is no longer a serious problem in the state, calling itself “one of the great stories in America’s fight for equality.” Louisiana currently has no non-white statewide elected officials, despite a non-white population of around 40%.

Meanwhile, Alabama filed a petition this week asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review and reverse a lower court’s ruling in a federal case that found the state’s congressional map violated Section 2 of the VRA.  

Alabama’s argument is another existential threat to the VRA, claiming it’s in conflict with the 14th Amendment. Both states are betting a Supreme Court majority will agree and strike down that essential section of the law. Read more about the Alabama case here.

OPINION 

The Last Line of Defense Against GOP Gerrymanders: Dem Governors

We’re watching a redistricting war play out between red states and blue states — launched by Trump and Texas —  that will have serious consequences in the 2026 midterm election. 

In an opinion piece, Meghan Meehan-Draper, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, gave us the bottom line: “We’re living in a scary moment for our democracy.”

Meehan-Draper made the case that one of the best ways to fight is by electing Democratic governors.

“Democratic governors are on the frontlines of the redistricting fight. They have the power to veto rigged maps, pass fair ones and go on offense to counter Republican extremism in places like Texas. They’re also key to winning back a Democratic majority in Congress and delivering on the issues that Americans care about most,” she wrote. Read more here.

Donald Trump is weaponizing the Department of Justice to target Democrats. Rep. Rob Menendez joins the podcast to discuss Trump’s threat to the immigrant community, the federal takeover of Washington, D.C., and the GOP’s refusal to do their job. Watch it on YouTube here.