RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats in Virginia’s Senate are asking the state Supreme Court to disqualify three candidates Republicans nominated to help redraw congressional and legislative maps, accusing them of having conflicts of interest.
News outlets report that Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw wrote to the high court's clerk Monday, urging the court to reject the nominees and ask for new “unbiased” nominees.
After the bipartisan Virginia Redistricting Commission’s effort to redraw districts deadlocked, the job became Supreme Court’s, but Democratic and Republican leaders can offer nominees to help.
Republican Senate Caucus spokesman Jeff Ryer responds that the Democrats’ nominees are “all extreme-left academics” with records of considering only what will benefit Democrats most.