Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin is arguing that even though he doesn’t support an east Arkansas state Senate district’s new boundaries, it’s too late to change them in response to a federal lawsuit.
Former Congressman Asa Hutchinson, who is representing Martin in the lawsuit, said in a court filing Friday that Martin didn’t dilute the black vote in the district. Martin, a Republican, was the only member of the Board of Reapportionment to vote against the Senate redistricting map.
A black state senator and other east Arkansas resident have sued Martin, Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel over the lines. Beebe and McDaniel are Democrats and sit on the board.
The filing said it would be impossible to redraw the boundaries in time for this year’s election.