How Supreme Court’s ban on racial gerrymandering affects California
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Calais struck down a congressional map created explicitly to establish a majority-black district, holding that race cannot be the predominant factor in redistricting under the Fifteenth Amendment. While the decision is unlikely to immediately affect California's current congressional districts drawn under Proposition 50, it may influence future redistricting processes in the state. The ruling does not address partisan gerrymandering, which remains permissible under federal law, but could lead to significant national shifts in congressional representation.
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Opinion How Supreme Court’s ban on racial gerrymandering affects California By Thomas G. del Beccaro Published April 29, 2026, 7:45 p.m. ET The famed Dr. Martin Luther King once declared that he looked “to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” With its seminal decision today in a congressional redistricting case, known as Louisiana v. Calais, the US Supreme Court took a step, not a leap, in that direction. The national political implications of the ruling could be massive –– possibly producing a red tide in the decade to come. Traffic passes a “Vote No On Prop 50” just north of Fresno. TNS As for California, this ruling likely won’t affect Proposition 50 and Gavin Newsom’s 2026 congressional districts.
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