Election expert chides GOP after 'humiliating' court loss: 'Got laughed out of court'

A Democratic lawyer chided the California state GOP on Thursday after the party suffered a major court loss.

Marc Elias, a voting rights attorney, joined progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen on the podcast "Democracy Watch" to discuss a lawsuit the California GOP filed to stop state Democrats from redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm election. California Democrats passed a bill during a recent special session to approve a ballot measure asking state voters for permission to redo the map because Texas Republicans are redoing theirs.

A California court dismissed the California GOP's lawsuit on Thursday. Elias described the loss as "humiliating."

"It is just a humiliation for the lawyers and for the parties that have brought these claims in California, only to see them summarily dismissed," Elias said.

"They got laughed out of court," he added.

Elias added that state Republicans may try to avoid going to the California Supreme Court for an appeal and choose instead to file a lawsuit in a federal court to fast-track the case up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"I suspect we'll see those in the near future, and also other actions by Republicans who are getting more and more desperate," Elias said.

Watch the entire episode below or by clicking here.