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State Republicans Show No Desire for Nonpartisan Redistricting Reform

NPR

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court said a lower court should re-examine the redistricting efforts of Virginia’s Republican-led legislature. That prompted Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe to ask Republicans give up the fight and work together on nonpartisan redistricting.

Thanks, but no thanks. That’s the response from Republicans who say they have a very strong case to make in court, and they’re ready to make it. Republican Speaker Bill Howell says Republicans will not be dropping their defense of the House of Delegates districts, which Democrats say unfairly marginalizes African-American voters.

“I really do find this letter hypocritical. It’s entirely premature, and the governor is asking for a nonpartisan panel to draw the lines while’s he’s leading a national Democratic effort to redraw House districts benefit Democrats.”

The fate of the legal case may be uncertain, but Republican leaders think one thing is for sure — the map. When voters head to the polls this year, Republicans say their candidates will be running in the same districts the GOP leadership crafted in 2011.

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