Democrats face new hurdles in legal fight over redistricting

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI
Associated Press

Both parties are bracing for a major legal fight over redistricting. Democrats need court wins more than Republicans because they control the redrawing of political maps in far fewer states than the GOP. But a Supreme Court ruling has significantly narrowed the ways to challenge redistricting in federal courts. That will put Democrats in state courts, which are dominated by GOP judges in the southern states where the fight will be hottest. Democrats and civil rights groups can still challenge redistricting as improperly based on race, but those challenges may be tougher too. And judges have less time to intervene given the compressed schedule this year.