The U.S. Supreme Court decided Jan. 13 against hearing an appeal in a racial gerrymandering case where North Dakota took the unusual step of asking the justices to reconsider its own lower court victory.
A gerrymander is the political manipulation of the boundaries of an electoral district to favor a political party or group. Race-based gerrymanders have been struck down by the Supreme Court on constitutional grounds.
The nation’s highest court issued a one-sentence summary judgment in Walen v. Burgum without hearing oral arguments. No justices dissented. The court did not explain its decision.
The North Dakota Legislative Assembly passed a state-level redistricting plan in 2021 after the 2020 Census. The plan bisected two existing two-member districts in the state House of Representatives to create two new Native American-majority subdistricts that would each be represented by a single member. The new political subdivisions include Indian reservations. Supporters of the plan said putting tribal members in the new subdistricts improves the chances of electing tribal members….