SCOTUS just ruled that unequal voting outcomes are not enough.
You now have to prove intent.
Within days:
- Alabama officials moved to redraw maps
- Mississippi called a special session
- Tennessee leaders pushed to lock in political advantage
- South Carolina Republicans began openly targeting Jim Clyburn’s district
Now Rep. Ralph Norman says this:
“Jim Clyburn ... does not represent the rest of South Carolina ... His district is close to 47% African American.”
That’s the overlap.
Race
↔ politics
↔ representation
The Court just made it much harder to challenge maps as discriminatory if states can explain them as political instead of racial.
The legal risk dropped.
The political reaction started immediately.
We liked racial gerrymandering when it helped us create safe Democratic seats. Now that the rules changed, it's suddenly a scandal.