Supreme Court Could Still Tilt Midterms Toward Republicans

The U.S. Supreme Court made headlines last week when it ruled to keep New York’s current congressional map in place, temporarily blocking a lower court ruling that had found the map violated the Constitution by diluting the voting power of Black and Latino residents.

The unsigned emergency order did not include a vote count or written reasoning, which is typical for decisions issued on the court’s emergency docket. The decision allows the existing map to remain in place while appeals continue, making it likely the map will be used in the upcoming midterm elections.

The ruling was a victory for Republicans and could help them retain control of a closely divided House of Representatives.

Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican whose district includes Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, filed the emergency application after a state judge ordered her district to be redrawn.

The case centers on New York’s 11th Congressional District, the only district in New York City currently held by a Republican.

That ruling comes as the Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in a Louisiana redistricting case that could affect how the Voting Rights Act is applied in election disputes.

The case, Louisiana v. Callais, challenges a congressional map approved by Louisiana lawmakers that created a second majority Black district after earlier court challenges.