A judge rules against a Republican challenge of a congressional redistricting map in New Mexico

A New Mexico state judge has ruled against a Republican Party challenge of new congressional boundaries approved by Democrats that divvied up a politically conservative oil-producing region. In an order published on Friday. Judge Fred Van Soelen wrote that the redistricting plan enacted by Democratic state lawmakers in 2021 fell short of “egregious” gerrymandering. The ruling and possible appeal are likely to have a big influence on which party represents a congressional swing district along the U.S. border with Mexico. Redistricting challenges are playing out in several states as Republicans campaign to hold onto their slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024.