WASHINGTON — Virginia Republicans are preparing an appeal to the Nation’s highest court in a bid to delay the creation of a new state-level political district map.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ordered lawmakers in June to redraw the state’s legislative map by Oct. 30 after it found that some districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The same panel last week rejected a request by the GOP to put off the deadline until the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on the case.
The court wrote that delaying work on a remedial plan would likely result in the 2019 elections proceeding under unconstitutional districts and would likely cause irreparable injury to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, who are Virginia voters.
A special session called by Democrat Governor Ralph Northam last week to have lawmakers work on redrawing the existing map failed to net any significant progress. Democrats brought a suggested map, which Republicans rejected out of hand, and the Republicans failed to produce a map of their own.
Del. Tim Hugo (R-FFX) told WMAL’s Mornings on the Mall Tuesday that Republicans are going to try again to have higher powers intervene.
“If the paperwork works out, I think by the close of business today, we will have filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Hugo said.
There is – to say the least – a lot at stake.
The design of new districts could be an important factor in next year’s state elections, when all 100 House seats will be at stake. Last year, Democrats made huge gains and whittled a two-thirds Republican majority down to 51-49. They are hoping to win their first majority in nearly two decades in 2019, and newly designed districts could make the difference.
The Associated Press provided content for this report.
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