The California Republican Party filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court to halt Proposition 50’s district maps for 2026.
CALIFORNIA, USA — The California Republican Party filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block California from using congressional district maps enacted through Proposition 50 in the 2026 election.
The filing, submitted by the Dhillon Law Group on behalf of the party and other plaintiffs, asks the court to prevent the state from implementing the new lines while legal challenges continue. The application argues the maps rely on race in ways that violate federal law.
According to a news release, the filing asks the court to act by Feb. 9, 2026, citing the start of California’s candidate filing period. The application says candidates and voters will face immediate effects if the Proposition 50 maps remain in place for the upcoming election cycle.
“California cannot create districts by race, and the state should not be allowed to lock in districts that break federal law,” said California Republican Party Chairwoman, Corrin Rankin. “Our emergency application asks the Supreme Court to put the brakes on Prop. 50 now, before the Democrats try to run out the clock and force candidates and voters to live with unconstitutional congressional districts. Californians deserve fair districts and clean elections, not a backroom redraw that picks winners and losers based on race.”
Michael Columbo, a partner at Dhillon Law Group, said the filing focuses on constitutional limits over the use of race in redistricting.
“The Supreme Court has been clear for decades that states cannot sort voters by race unless they can meet strict scrutiny,” Columbo said. “This filing explains why the record includes direct admissions and supporting evidence that race predominated in key line-drawing decisions, and why immediate, temporary relief is warranted to prevent candidates and voters from being forced to operate under unconstitutional districts while the appeal is pending.”
The emergency request follows rulings earlier this month by a three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The filing says the panel denied a preliminary injunction on Jan. 14 and denied an injunction pending appeal on Jan. 16.
Prop. 50 Explained: Why redistricting matters & what it means for Californians
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read