The U.S. Supreme Court has frozen a lower court ruling striking down North Carolina’s congressional district map as unconstitutional. The high court’s 7-2 ruling was submitted without explanation, with Justices Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissenting. Last week’s lower court ruling marked the first time a federal court has struck down a congressional map because of political gerrymandering. Thursday’s freeze by the Supreme Court is likely to keep in place North Carolina’s long, winding and oddly shaped congressional districts through November’s midterm elections, in a delay that will likely benefit Republicans.