California Prop. 50 Judges Focus on Campaign: States of Play

December 18, 2025, 7:32 PM UTC

THE PARTISAN NATURE of messaging delivered to California voters, who overwhelmingly approved newly drawn congressional maps, was the focus of the majority in a panel of judges poised to decide whether the state can implement the changes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

  • Judges seized on ballot instructions that they said were explicitly political and didn’t mention race during closing arguments at the end of a three-day hearing Wednesday in the US District Court for the Central District of California.
  • California Republicans seek a preliminary injunction to block the map that would advantage Golden State Democrats in the midterms.
  • Map ...

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