Update: The U.S. Supreme Court's docket on the stay application does now reflect Justice Alito's denial.

A spokesman for the United State Supreme Court has said that Justice Samuel Alito has denied Pennsylvania legislative leaders' request for a stay of a state court's 11th-hour Congressional redistricting order.

Alito's order is not on the court's docket yet, but the denial has been reported by the court's public information office.

The state's top Republican legislative leaders had hoped that the nation's high court would block the state Supreme Court's Jan. 22 order, which requires agreement with Gov. Tom Wolf on a new map for the Pennsylvania's 18 Congressional districts by Feb. 15.

The leaders, according to court procedure, could still seek a reconsideration of Alito's ruling.

For the moment, however, Alito's ruling is a major victory for opponents of partisan gerrymandering, because its effect is to permit a court-ordered redrawing of an existing map to go forward for the first time in this election cycle.

Similar orders in other cases have been stayed this year.

The Pennsylvania court's order applies only to the state's map for its 18 Congressional districts, which have been rated by various barometers as among the most gerrymandered in the nation.

Because of the uncertainty surrounding the Pennsylvania Congressional map, Gov. Tom Wolf's Department of State has shifted the period for gathering signatures needed to get on the primary ballot for those races only.

The petition period for the U.S. House seats is now set for Feb. 27 through March 20. The scheduled May 15 primary date still stands.