On November 13, the U.S. Department of Justice asked to intervene in the federal lawsuit over the new California U.S. House district boundaries. It seeks to intervene on the side of the Republican plaintiffs who are suing to block the new districts approved by the voters last week. Tangipa v Newsom, c.d., 2:25cv-10616. The Defendants do not oppose the motion. Also, on November 12, the court allowed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to intervene on the side of the state of California.

The Republican plaintiffs argue that the new boundaries are a racial gerrymander, and point to statements made by proponents of the new districts that the reason for the new districts is to increase Hispanic representation. This seems an unconvincing argument. The evidence appears overwhelming that the true motivation for the new districts was to advance the partisan interests of the Democratic Party. It is a partisan gerrymander, not a racial gerrymander.

Mike Collier, the Texas Democratic Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2022, will run for the same office in 2026, but as an independent. His petition drive will be very difficult. No independent has qualified for the ballot for a statewide state office since 2006. He will need 81,030 signatures, and no one who voted in the March 2026 primary will be able to sign.

On November 12, Adelita Grijalva was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House. She had been elected in a special election in Arizona in September.

Her lawsuit is not necessarily moot, because if she wants, she could carry on the lawsuit on the basis that she was improperly denied her congressional salary for the past six weeks.