Supreme Court rejects GOP efforts to block new congressional maps in North Carolina, Pennsylvania...

The Supreme Court on Monday shot down emergency appeals from Republicans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania who sought to block redistricting maps selected by state courts.

Legislators in both states typically draw the congressional maps, but lawsuits challenging them prompted state courts to intervene and establish new district boundaries that are considered wins for Democrats.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court chose a map submitted to the state court by Democratic voters, after voters sued over the Republican-controlled Legislature and the Democratic governor’s inability to agree on a map. In North Carolina, the state Supreme Court let a nonpartisan panel of experts draw a new map after concluding the Republican state Legislature’s map violated the state Constitution by favoring Republican voters.

The new maps are expected to benefit Democrats more than those proposed by the Republican-controlled state legislatures.