Democrats push aggressive redistricting as Supreme Court ruling could shift balance

Democrats are mounting an offensive to redraw U.S. House maps in a handful of states, even as a pending Supreme Court decision looms that advocates say could give Republicans a significant advantage. Party operatives hope to pick up multiple seats in Virginia, face resistance in Maryland and see limited options elsewhere, while Republicans appear poised to gain seats in Florida.

So far, Republicans have picked up roughly nine seats and Democrats about six, though legal challenges or a wave election could alter that math. Lawmakers on both sides are divided over how aggressive to be as primary elections approach and leaders press reluctant colleagues. At issue is a possible Supreme Court weakening of a provision of the Voting Rights Act that allows race to be considered in drawing maps.

During arguments last fall the court’s conservative majority appeared likely to weaken that provision; a ruling striking it down could enable states to eliminate majority-minority districts. The timing and how many seats such a decision might affect remain unclear, with final rulings typically arriving in late June or early July.

In Virginia, state lawmakers are pushing for a map that would give Democrats as many as 10 of the state’s 11 seats, while about half of the state’s congressional Democrats prefer a map yielding nine or fewer seats.

Key Topics

Politics, Democratic Party, Supreme Court, Voting Rights Act, Virginia, Florida