Supreme Court refuses to block new congressional maps in Pa.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down a request from Pennsylvania Republican legislative leaders to block the implementation of a redrawn congressional map that creates more parity between the political parties in the state.

It was the second time that the court declined to get involved in the partisan battle that has roiled Pennsylvania politics. The commonwealth’s highest court earlier this year ruled that a map drawn by Republican leaders in 2011 “clearly, plainly and palpably” violated the Free and Equal Elections Clause of the Pennsylvania constitution.

The U.S. Supreme Court deliberated nearly two weeks before turning down the request to stop the map from being used this fall . Generally the justices stay out of the way when a state’s highest court is interpreting its own state constitution.

The practical impact is the 2018 elections are likely to be held under a map much more favorable to Democrats, who scored a surprising victory last week in a special election. The 2011 map that has been used this decade has resulted in Republicans consistently winning 13 of the state’s 18 congressional seats.

Under a new map drawn by a nonpartisan expert and adopted by Democratic justices of Pennsylvania’s elected supreme court, analysts say Republicans start with an edge in 10 of the 18 districts. Pennsylvania traditionally is a purple state, and currently has a legislature controlled by Republicans, a governor who is a Democrat and a U.S. senator from each party.

Political analysts say the changes in Pennsylvania might aid national Democrats in their attempt to flip the House from GOP control. Democrats need to take about two dozen seats to win the majority, and Pennsylvania could provide some of that total. Six incumbents, five of them Republicans, have said they will not be on the fall ballot.

The victory in Pennsylvania for opponents of partisan gerrymandering suggest a new mode of attack, by challenging redistricting in state courts under state constitutions.

The U.S. Supreme Court has never thrown out a state’s redistricting plan because it has found it so infected with partisan bias that it violates voters’ constitutional rights.