JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has denied a request by Hinds County Supervisor Phil Fisher and the Republican Party to bar the county from using its new redistricting plan in November elections, which involves only the five local election commission members.

Still pending is the original lawsuit filed in September, which asks that the new voter district lines be thrown out for multiple reasons, including, Fisher said, the contention supervisors improperly used race as a consideration in redrawing districts.

Fisher is white. The board's four black supervisors on Oct. 8 asked the court to dismiss his lawsuit, saying Fisher sued in his official capacity as a supervisor and "gerrymandering" lawsuits must be filed by an affected voter. Gerrymandering is drawing voting lines to give advantage to a certain group.

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