The Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge to North Dakota’s 2021 legislative redistricting plan, effectively upholding measures designed to enhance Native American representation in the state legislature.

The decision comes after two non-Native American residents contested the state’s creation of subdivided house districts, arguing they constituted racial gerrymandering in violation of constitutional equal protection guarantees.

The redistricting plan, implemented following the 2020 census, created two key subdistricts: 4A, which follows the boundaries of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation reservation and maintains a Native American voting majority; and 9A, which encompasses the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians reservation.

By refusing to take up the case, the Supreme Court has allowed the district map to remain in place, as four justices would have needed to vote in favor of hearing the challenge. The decision represents a significant victory for voting rights advocates who have long pushed for improved representation for North Dakota’s tribal communities.

Bruce Spiva, senior vice president at Campaign Legal Center, celebrated the outcome, describing it as “a win for democracy.” He highlighted the historical context of the decision, noting that tribal nations in North Dakota have faced numerous obstacles in their pursuit of equal representation in the democratic process.

The high court’s rejection of the challenge marks a milestone in the ongoing effort to ensure fair representation for Native American voters in North Dakota. It reinforces the state’s authority to create districts that account for tribal boundaries and population concentrations when drawing legislative maps.

Read more: Supreme Court rejects challenge to North Dakota district map over tribal representation

This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com

The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.