The Justice Department has joined a lawsuit to stop new election maps from going into effect in California, setting up a fight that could determine control of the House of Representatives in 2026.

Californians voted overwhelmingly in support of Proposition 50 last week, the state constitutional amendment for the new boundaries. The lawsuit, filed by the California Republican Party, asserts the new maps are based on racial gerrymandering, favoring Hispanic voters.

“Race cannot be used as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Proposition 50,” the lawsuit argues.

The DOJ filed a motion to join the suit on Thursday.

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