Federal court clears California’s new House map boosting Democrats ahead of 2026 midterms

California can move forward with a new U.S. House map that would boost Democrats’ chances in the 2026 midterms, a federal court ruled Wednesday.

A three-judge panel in Los Angeles ruled 2-1 to deny requests from both state Republicans and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to block the map from being used, giving Democrats a realistic chance at flipping up to five House seats in the midterm election.

In November, California voters passed a ballot initiative, known as Proposition 50, dramatically...