Va. Republicans will appeal redistricting ruling

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Republican congressmen are appealing a recent federal court ruling that said state legislators packed too many black voters into one congressional district in order to make adjacent districts safer for Republican incumbents.

An attorney for the seven Republican congressmen plus recently resigned Rep. Eric Cantor filed paperwork Thursday saying his clients are appealing the Oct. 7 ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 2-1 ruling by a panel of judges left the state’s congressional districts intact for November’s elections but ordered the General Assembly to draw new boundaries by April 1 next year correcting the flawed 2012 redistricting plan.

At issue is the number of black voters in the 3rd Congressional District, which has had a black majority since 1991.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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