LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Democratic Party didn’t get exactly what it wanted when Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate ruled against its case arguing that the GOP-controlled redistricting maps went against the Kentucky constitution. Now, the party is looking to take the case to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
In documents filed this week, the KDP appealed Wingate’s ruling to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, and asked that court to transfer the case to the state’s highest court. Democrats are challenging maps for the state House, where Republicans just gained an 80-20 majority over Democrats, and U.S. Congress. The challenge does not include the newly drawn state Senate maps.
In Wingate’s ruling, the judge agreed with the KDP’s argument that both maps were gerrymandered to benefit Republicans but did not conclude that gerrymandering violated the state constitution. Democrats argued that gerrymandering violates a section of the state constitution that guarantees that “elections shall be equal and free.”
The new map was roundly criticized by Democrats across the state and defended by Republicans, including leaders in the state legislature and attorneys from GOP Secretary of State Michael Adams’ office as well as Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Some outside groups like the League of Women Voters also criticized the GOP for not publicizing the maps before they were quickly passed through the legislative process.
KDP Chair Colmon Elridge warned that if the high court does not rule against the map, the state GOP could “grow bolder” in gerrymandering future maps.
“We are continuing our fight to stop the partisan gerrymandering of the GOP supermajority and are appealing this case to stop extreme Republicans from slicing up cities and counties every 10 years to put political gain above the best interests of Kentuckians,” Elridge said.
“The court was clear these districts were partisan gerrymanders, which dilute the votes of hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians. As evidenced by the election, the Republican majority worked behind closed doors to draw districts that cut up communities for partisan gain to beat incumbents they couldn’t beat on a fair playing field.”
