Supreme Court to hear racially charged redistricting case

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to review a case out of Virginia that questions whether state lawmakers unlawfully considered race when they drew congressional district lines.

Gloria Personhuballah, who brought the case, argued that the Republican-controlled legislature packed black voters into the Third Congressional Districtrict held by Democrats. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) is challenging a lower district court, which concluded the district held by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court is now being asked to revisit the question of whether race was unduly factored into the lines for Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District and whether it should have required Personhuballah to provide an alternative districting plan that was better balanced.