The U.S. Supreme Court handed Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom a stunning victory over President Donald Trump by letting California’s new congressional maps stand for the midterms.
The conservative majority court on Wednesday denied Republicans’ request to block the new voter-approved districts in the country’s largest blue state, which were drawn up in response to Texas redrawing its own maps at Trump’s urging in an effort to help Republicans.
No justices dissented from the brief order.
It comes after the Supreme Court in December allowed Texas to keep its maps, which favor Republicans for the midterms despite a lower court ruling the maps likely discriminated based on race.
Newsom, who led the charge for his state to redraw its own congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms in response to Texas, celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday on X.
“Donald Trump said he was ‘entitled’ to five more Congressional seats in Texas,” he wrote. “He started this redistricting war. He lost, and he’ll lose again in November.”
The new California districts were drawn to flip up to five Republican seats for Democrats, in response to similar efforts to flip blue seats red in Texas.
Last year, Texas, under Republican leadership, moved to redraw its congressional districts at the behest of Trump as he faces headwinds while Republicans attempt to hold onto their razor-thin majority in the House come November.
This story is developing and will be updated.
