Supreme Court Upholds Redraw of Detroit Legislative Seats

The decision rejects Michigan's redistricting commission's plea, potentially making legislative maps more competitive.

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a request from Michigan's redistricting commission to overturn an order to redraw 13 Detroit-area seats in the Legislature.
The commission had challenged a December ruling by a federal appeals court panel that found Michigan's legislative maps drawn in 2021 were illegally influenced by race.
The panel ordered the redraw of seven state House districts for the 2024 election, with a later deadline for six state Senate districts.
The Supreme Court's decision is likely to make the legislative maps more competitive, potentially increasing the number of 'Detroit-focused' districts that would be solidly Democratic.
The redistricting process had reduced the number of majority-minority districts in the Legislature from 15 to five, according to the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University.