No. 25-901October Term 2025Petition Pending
Benancio Garcia, III, Petitioner v. Steven Hobbs, Secretary of State of Washington, et al.
Benancio Garcia III challenged Washington’s Legislative District 15 as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
Case status
- Current stage
- Petition Pending
- Latest event
- Petition pending
- Decision timing
- No decision timeline until the Court agrees to hear the case.
- What it's about
Benancio Garcia III challenged Washington’s Legislative District 15 as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The lower courts held his claim was moot after a separate court proceeding replaced the district’s map; Garcia is asking the Supreme Court to review that ruling.
Question presented
Whether a plaintiff’s Equal Protection Clause racial gerrymandering claim is rendered moot when the challenged legislative district is replaced in a different proceeding by a judicial remedy that intensifies the plaintiff’s racial classification injury, and which is subject to ongoing appellate review?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Petition pending
- Area
Civil Rights
Briefing
What it's about
Benancio Garcia III says Washington's former Legislative District 15 was a racial gerrymander (a district drawn mainly based on race). Lower courts treated his claim as moot after a separate case replaced the map, and Garcia is asking the Supreme Court to review that conclusion.
Argument
The case has not been scheduled for oral argument. Garcia argues that replacing the district did not erase his claimed injury, while the lower courts concluded the claim was moot.
Impact
The case could determine whether voters may continue challenging an earlier district map after a court-ordered replacement changes the district. That affects residents of Legislative District 15 who say they were classified by race in drawing the district.
What is at stake in Garcia v. Hobbs?
The case asks whether replacing Legislative District 15 ended Garcia's racial-gerrymandering claim, even though he says the replacement intensified the injury.
Who could be affected by the Garcia v. Hobbs case?
Voters in Washington's Legislative District 15 could be affected because the case concerns whether their challenge to an earlier map can continue.
When will the Supreme Court act in Garcia v. Hobbs?
No oral argument is scheduled and no decision window has been announced. The next step could be an argument date or another scheduling action.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Sep 4, 2026
- Method
- Methodology