On October 3 the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case “Gill v. Whitford.” The Court will decide whether a Republican-drawn gerrymander in Wisconsin violates the Constitution.
The National Republican Congressional Committee takes the view that the gerrymander, which gives Republicans far more seats than their votes would warrant, is legal. Of course it would.
On the other hand, a number of prominent Republicans, including Sen. McCain, Gov. Kasich, Bob Dole, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and former senators John Danforth of Missouri, Richard Lugar of Indiana, and Alan Simpson of Wyoming have all filed amicus briefs against gerrymandering.
McCain’s brief reads in part, “Partisan gerrymandering has become a tool for powerful interests to distort the democratic process.”
I don’t hold out much hope that the Court will rule in favor of fair districts, but I do admire the Republicans who actually believe elections should be fair.
Information for this post came from Adam Liptak, “Some of G.O.P.’s Stars Break Ranks in Urging Justices to End Gerrymandering, New York Times (Sept. 7, 2017), p. A18.
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