Newsom has called for a November special election to let voters decide on a new congressional map designed to flip up to five Republican-held seats.

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an attempt by Republican legislators to delay Democrats from gerrymandering the state’s congressional districts. The justices said the emergency petition, filed earlier this week, “failed to meet their burden of establishing a basis for relief at this time under” the California Constitution.

California Democrats introduced a plan last week that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts.

The lawsuit comes as Newsom seeks a tit-for-tat expansion of California's House delegation to match a redistricting in Texas that would net Republicans five more seats.

Texas GOP set to pass map adding 5 House seats, triggering national redistricting fight and Democratic retaliation. Newsweek's live blog is closed.

A California legislative hearing turned into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats over a partisan plan to rewrite U.S. House maps to win Democrats more seats. A committee voted along party lines to advance a new congressional map in response to a Republican redistricting effort in Texas that President Donald Trump wants.

California state lawmakers have started a series of legislative hearings to advance a partisan plan aimed at winning Democrats five more House seats.