The US Supreme Court on Friday rejected Virginia Democrats’ attempt to restore a congressional map that could have given the party a chance to pick up four seats in the closely divided House of Representatives. The order was issued without any noted dissent.
The ruling is the latest salvo in the nation’s intensifying mid-decade redistricting wars. The current cycle was kicked off last year when Trump urged Republican-controlled states to redraw their congressional lines, and was then supercharged by a recent Supreme Court decision severely weakening the Voting Rights Act — a move that opened up even more winnable seats for Republicans. The Virginia decision cements the GOP’s structural advantage heading into the next round of congressional elections.
