Conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are outraged over the Democratic judges' decision to throw out Congressional maps, the Washington Examiner reported. They believe this is being done to help Democrats win in 2024.
President Joe Biden has been a disaster for the Democratic Party, and they're increasingly anxious about it as that will be factored into the general election. However, Democrats are attempting to stem the tide by challenging redistricting in states like Wisconsin.
The decision Friday in the Badger State was 4-3 along party lines in favor of redrawing the maps that were previously submitted by the Republican majority. This would impact the primary elections happening in August 2024 and could give Democrats a slight edge.
The conservatives on the court are rightly outraged and worried about this partisan move. "With its first opinion as an openly progressive faction, the members of the majority shed their robes, usurp the prerogatives of the legislature, and deliver the spoils to their preferred political party," Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote in her dissenting opinion.
"These handmaidens of the Democratic Party trample the rule of law, dishonor the institution of the judiciary, and undermine democracy," Bradley added. The majority ruling came using a requirement that districts consist of "contiguous territory" was violated in the new map.
However, the right-leaning justices noted that other maps with similar districts that do not touch have been accepted over the last 50 years in the state. Moreover, a 2022 challenge also upheld the maps as drawn.
"The matter of legislative redistricting was thoroughly litigated and resolved after the 2020 census," a dissenting opinion from Justice Brian Hagedorn also noted. The new maps must now be approved by both the Republican-led legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers before the primaries.
If an agreement can't be made, the court will have to implement its own map. Unsurprisingly, this would give Democrats an advantage over Republicans.
The GOP currently controls the state legislature and has 7 of 10 congressional districts in the U.S. Congress. Allowing the court to draw a map more favorable to Democrats will have an impact on both state and federal politics.
The privilege of redistricting has always been one of the spoils of political victory. However, maps following the 2020 census have been challenged in at least 12 states, CBS News reported.
The most important battles come from states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia, where Democrats are hoping to pick up more seats. "All are places where districts are at play, and it still remains unclear in a lot of these places whether there are changes that will result in Republican-drawn gerrymanders being undone," Brennan Center for Justice redistricting expert Kareem Crayton claimed.
Others believe the redistricting disputes will be a wash regardless of how the courts find in each case. "The biggest takeaway is that blue states' representation might get bluer, and red states redder," Cook Political Report senior editor and elections analyst Dave Wasserman explained.
"That's the big takeaway from North Carolina and New York," he added. North Carolina may add more GOP-heavy districts, while New York's Democratic Party could see an advantage based on how the state supreme courts have decided in the respective states.
Redistricting is a perennially important political tool, but it certainly takes priority going into the 2024 election season. Democrats are rightly concerned that having Biden at the top of the ticket could have down-ballot effects, and they'll do what it takes to stop that from happening.
