A panel of three federal judges in California declined to halt the state’s new congressional map Wednesday, rejecting claims the new lines were racial gerrymanders and allowing the map for this year’s midterm elections.
The 2-1 decision, written after the judges held a three-day evidentiary hearing, rejected claims that the new congressional lines gerrymandered in favor of the state’s Hispanic and Latino communities. The map targets five Republican-held seats, part of a mid-decade partisan redistricting arms race started when Texas adopted a new map that targets five Democrat-held seats.
“Because we find that the evidence of any racial motivation driving redistricting is exceptionally weak, while the evidence of partisan motivations is overwhelming, Challengers are not entitled to preliminary relief on any of their claims,” the decision said.
