Illinois court upholds Democratic redistricting plan

An Illinois court upheld Democrats' redistricting plan in the state Thursday, giving Democrats a strong chance of taking out as many as six Republican incumbents next fall.

Republicans had challenged the plan under the Voting Rights Act, arguing it did not give Latinos enough representation in the state. But most national and local Hispanic groups disagreed, undercutting their argument, and there was little expectation the map would be struck down.

"We are disappointed with the court’s ruling today, especially considering the very serious issues we raised in our challenge to the Democrats’ map, including discrimination against the state’s growing Latino population," the state's Republican congressmen said in a joint statement. We are in the process of reviewing the decision and evaluating our options for future action."

The plan is unlikely to face any more serious challenges. Republicans currently hold 11 of the state's 19 seats; under the new map, Democrats hope to win as many as 13 of the 18 new districts (the state lost a seat in reapportionment).