× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

A federal judge on Friday did not immediately move Virginia’s redistricting process to the courts, but set in motion a contingency plan in which a court-appointed expert would draw new boundaries in case legislators miss an Oct. 30 deadline to do so.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne said that by next Thursday, the parties in the case — Democrats, Republicans and state elections officials — must propose the names of the expert to draw new boundaries — called a “special master” in court parlance — as a contingency in case drawing the map falls to the judges.

By Sept. 25, the parties must tell the court whether they have agreed on an expert. The judge also told House Republicans to file a series of status reports on the progress of redistricting efforts in the General Assembly.

In June, a three-judge panel ruled that legislators had unlawfully racially gerrymandered 11 House districts. Last week Northam asserted that the legislature was at an impasse on redistricting and urged House Republicans to let the courts draw a new map.

On Friday evening, both the office of Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, and House Republicans cited what they considered bright spots about the judge’s order.