The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Dec. 17, 2025
Testimony began December 15th in a Republican challenge to California’s new gerrymandered congressional map. Plaintiffs and the Trump Justice Department claim the legislature racially gerrymandered the maps, but the U.S. Supreme Court’s Texas decision may undercut that claim.
California voters passed Proposition 50 in November, suspending the state’s citizen-led redistricting commission. The measure allowed the Democrat-dominated legislature to gerrymander five more Democratic congressional seats to counter President Trump’s demand for five more GOP seats in Texas. California Republicans and the Trump DOJ claim the resulting map violates the state constitution, the 14th and 15th amendments, and the Voting Rights Act.
Then December 4th, the U.S. Supreme Court’s majority upheld obvious racial gerrymandering by the State of Texas, saying the three-judge circuit court panel’s 160-page decision had errors, that plaintiffs hadn’t proven racial gerrymandering, and that the timing of the case interfered with the March 3rd Texas 2026 primary.
In its California brief DOJ said, QUOTE, “Our Constitution does not tolerate this racial gerrymander,” and pointed to statements by the legislature’s redistricting consultant that he might draw a majority-minority Latino district. As for timing, the 2026 California primary is June 2nd.
If it did reach the high court, it’s hard to fathom that the Republican challenge could hurdle the conservative majority’s now almost unreachable bar to prove racial gerrymandering.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – U.S. Supreme Court Majority Embraces Texas Redistricting, Ignores District Court Panel Racial Gerrymandering Findings
U.S. Department of Justice – Justice Department Sues Governor Gavin Newsom for California’s Race-Based Redistricting Plan
U.S. District Court (via Democracy Docket) – California Republican Party Plaintiff’s Complaint
U.S. District Court (via Democracy Docket) – DOJ Civil Rights Division Intervening Complaint
Courthouse News Service – Republicans ask court to scrap California’s new congressional map
U.S. Supreme Court – GREG ABBOTT, ET AL. v. LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS, ET AL. ON APPLICATION FOR STAY (Includes Dissents)
Sacramento Bee – SCOTUS upholds Texas’ congressional map for 2026 and hints at California’s fate
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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