Court strikes down Va. congressional map – Tarini Parti – POLITICO.com

A panel of federal judges in Virginia struck down the state’s congressional map on Tuesday, arguing that the GOP-controlled state legislature’s decision to pack African-Americans into the 3rd Congressional District, which is represented by Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott, was motivated purely by race — a violation of the 14th Amendment.

“[W]e find that Plaintiffs have shown race predominated,” the opinion states. “We find that the Third Congressional District cannot survive review under the exacting standard of strict scrutiny.”

The decision in Virginia is the latest decision in Democrats’ efforts to reverse what they see as Republican gerrymandering in several states. Florida’s GOP-controlled state legislature was also forced to redraw its congressional map earlier this year after a Democratic suit invalidated the lines.

Redrawing the map in Virginia has the potential to upend the composition of the state’s delegation in Congress. Despite the state’s purple tint, Democrats control just three of the state’s 11 districts, and just one seat is truly competitive — only as a result of the retirement of GOP Rep. Frank Wolf.

The case, however, could help Democrats in several other states like North Carolina and California, where they are fighting similar redistricting battles, Levitt said.

“The court essentially said when race is the biggest factor [in drawing a district], it has to be nuanced,” he said. “They need to use a scalpel in drawing the districts, not a meat cleaver.”

via Court strikes down Va. congressional map – Tarini Parti – POLITICO.com.