Bo Tefu
California GOP Candidate Steve Hilton Files Lawsuit Challenging Redistricting, Citing “Partisan Power Grab”
“After Gavin Newsom’s Partisan Power Grab, a Democrat Vote in California Will be Worth Eight Times What a Republican Vote is Worth, a Grotesque Assault on our Democracy,” said Hilton in a campaign news release. He also described Proposition 50 as a “scheme” that ignores California’s constitutional requirement that redistricting occur only once every 10 years after a census.
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has filed a federal lawsuit challenging California’s proposed congressional redistricting plan, known as Proposition 50, arguing that it violates the 14th Amendment and equal protection rights for voters. The suit was filed Sept. 4 in the U.S. Central District Court of California’s Southern Division.
Hilton, a former Fox News commentator and prominent contender in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, had warned last month he would take legal action if Democrats advanced redistricting plans that he claims would favor their party. The lawsuit names Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber, whose office oversees elections in California.
“After Gavin Newsom’s Partisan Power Grab, a Democrat Vote in California Will be Worth Eight Times What a Republican Vote is Worth, a Grotesque Assault on our Democracy,” said Hilton in a campaign news release. He also described Proposition 50 as a “scheme” that ignores California’s constitutional requirement that redistricting occur only once every 10 years after a census.
“The Constitution does not say one person, one vote sometimes. It does not say one person, one vote, only for the majority party. It says one person, one vote for everyone. If this map is allowed to stand, millions of Californians will have their voices silenced and their votes devalued,” Hilton added.
If voters approve the newly proposed maps in a special election on Nov. 4, five Republican-held districts, including that of Kevin Kiley in Northern California, could be redrawn to include more Democratic-leaning areas. The new boundaries would make Kiley’s district smaller and add parts of urban Sacramento County.
Other Republicans have also pushed for a ban on mid-decade redistricting, but state courts have not acted, and the California Supreme Court has twice declined to intervene in related ballot measures. Kiley has appealed to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to support efforts to prevent mid-decade redistricting nationwide.
Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are the two most prominent GOP candidates hoping to challenge a crowded Democratic field for governor as Newsom reaches his term limit next year.
