Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/18pdf/18-422_9ol1.pdf
Page Number: 40.0

Cite as:  588 U. S. ____ (2019) 

1 

KAGAN, J., dissenting 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

_________________ 

Nos. 18–422, 18–726 
_________________ 

18–422 

ROBERT A. RUCHO, ET AL., APPELLANTS 
v. 
COMMON CAUSE, ET AL.; AND 

ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR 
THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

18–726 

LINDA H. LAMONE, ET AL., APPELLANTS 
v. 
O. JOHN BENISEK, ET AL. 

ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR 
THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND

 [June 27, 2019]

 JUSTICE  KAGAN,  with  whom  JUSTICE  GINSBURG, 
join,

JUSTICE  BREYER,  and  JUSTICE  SOTOMAYOR 
dissenting. 

For  the  first  time  ever,  this  Court  refuses  to  remedy  a
constitutional  violation  because  it  thinks  the  task  beyond
judicial capabilities.

And not just any constitutional violation.  The partisan
gerrymanders in these cases deprived citizens of the most
fundamental  of  their  constitutional  rights:  the  rights  to
participate  equally  in  the  political  process,  to  join  with 
others  to  advance  political  beliefs,  and  to  choose  their 
political  representatives.    In  so  doing,  the  partisan  gerry-
manders  here  debased  and  dishonored  our  democracy,
turning  upside-down  the  core  American  idea  that  all
governmental  power  derives  from  the  people.  These  ger-
rymanders  enabled  politicians  to  entrench  themselves  in 
office as against voters’ preferences.  They promoted parti-