Kenneth Lee
Ninth Circuit appeals judge, Trump appointee, who dissented from the three-judge court's Prop 50 ruling.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Could Kenneth Lee's racial gerrymandering dissent help kill California's Democratic maps at SCOTUS?
Timeline for Kenneth Lee
Dissented from 9th Circuit 2-1 ruling upholding California Prop 50 maps in terms echoing Callais
US Midterms 2026: Every Democratic redistricting track but California's is closedBackground
Kenneth Lee sat on the three-judge federal court in the Central District of California that heard Tangipa v. Newsom, the Republican challenge to California's Proposition 50 congressional map. On 14 January 2026 the Court refused 2-1 to block the map, with Lee dissenting; the Supreme Court denied an injunction pending appeal on 4 February 2026.
Lee is a judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. President Donald Trump nominated him on 6 February 2019, the Senate confirmed him on 15 May 2019, and he received his commission on 12 June 2019, taking the seat vacated by Stephen Reinhardt.
In dissent he identified what the plaintiffs called outcome-determinative errors of law, and the plaintiffs built their Supreme Court application on his reasoning. the Court's refusal to intervene left the Proposition 50 map in force for the 3 November 2026 House elections.
Who is Judge Kenneth Lee and what did he say about California redistricting?
What is the Tangipa v. Newsom case about?
Could the Supreme Court strike California's Prop 50 maps?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 1 October 2026. Editorial standards.