For the exact reasons I predicted back on December 23 last year, a federal court has granted a preliminary injunction to prevent implementation of the new lines adopted for Baltimore County Council districts because they likely violate the Voting Rights Act (VRA)

In short, the Court said that the County could and should have drawn a second district likely to allow Black voters to elect their preferred candidate. The County plans to appeal to the Fourth Circuit. Their only real hope of winning is if the Supreme Court overturns the VRA is upcoming cases on its docket–hardly the ideal political position for Baltimore Democrats.

Baltimore County could easily settle this case and adopt a plan with a second district designed to offer African American voters the chance to elect their preferred candidate. As the plaintiffs showed, this isn’t really difficult. It could be politically awkward because reconfiguring the lines might endanger at least a White incumbent.