Republican California Assemblyman David Tangipa told The Daily Signal he has filed an emergency injunction with the United States Supreme Court to challenge the Golden State’s new congressional map.
Tangipa’s motion comes after The Daily Signal reported that Tangipa had the desire to bring the case before the Supreme Court after a federal district court refused to hear the case.
“The Supreme Court should pick up this case as soon as possible,” Tangipa told The Daily Signal. “It is very clear that race was a predominant factor, and the violations of the 14th Amendment cannot continue.”
Tangipa alleges that the map violates the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution by redrawing five congressional districts, currently held by Republicans, on the basis of race.
If the court decides by Feb. 9 to take the assemblyman’s case, the court will pause the state’s new congressional map and conduct a review of the map’s constitutionality.
The Golden State’s new map was enabled by California voters’ approval of Proposition 50 in November, a ballot measure that handed redistricting control from the state’s independent commission to state elected officials.
Proposition 50 and the new map have been supported by major California Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber.
Tangipa recently stated that the map’s author, Paul Mitchell, “openly admitted” to racially gerrymandering the new congressional map to give Democratic voters an advantage.
“California’s mapmaker openly admitted that race was a driving factor,” Tangipa wrote on X. “He said the number one thing he focused on was creating a Latino majority/minority district.”
Tangipa remains optimistic that the court will agree to review the case.
“We believe the court will take this case since the split decision was very clear,” Tangipa told The Daily Signal. “We have asked the courts to issue a temporary pause while this is being debated over.”
“Hopefully, this is wrapped up by the second week of February,” Tangipa added.
