President Trump encouraged Pennsylvania Republicans on Tuesday to challenge the state’s new congressional map in court, saying that the original map — deemed unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court — “was correct.”
“Hope Republicans in the Great State of Pennsylvania challenge the new ‘pushed’ Congressional Map, all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary,” Trump tweeted. “Your Original was correct! Don’t let the Dems take elections away from you so that they can raise taxes & waste money!”
Trump’s tweet came a day after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unveiled a new congressional map that increases Democrats’ electoral chances in several districts currently held by Republicans.
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The state Supreme Court ruled last month that the previous congressional map was unlawfully gerrymandered along partisan lines, and ordered a new map to be drawn.
Pennsylvania Republicans requested that the U.S. Supreme Court stay that decision, but that request was ultimately rejected earlier this month. Republicans in the state have said that they plan to take the issue to federal court to try to block the new map from taking effect.
The new map will not apply for next month’s special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th District. Republicans have poured money into the race to replace former Rep. Tim Murphy (R), who resigned after reports that he encouraged a woman with whom he was having an affair to get an abortion.
Republican Rick Saccone holds a 3-point lead in the district over his Democratic opponent Conor Lamb, according to a recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette poll.
Trump, the first Republican to carry the Keystone State since 1988, was slated to campaign for Saccone last week but postponed the rally after a gunman killed 17 people at a South Florida high school on Wednesday.