Washington ? A key Supreme Court justice said Wednesday that Texas Republicans appeared to hurt minority voters when they redrew congressional boundaries that helped the GOP entrench its power in Congress.

But despite Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s misgivings, it did not appear there was broad support on the high court to throw out the entire map promoted by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas to help Republicans win six more seats.

Justices also did not seem ready to bar states from drawing their boundaries more than once a decade.

The court took up four appeals that raised complicated questions about voter rights both under the Constitution and federal election law.

Texas Republicans shifted congressional district boundaries enough in 2003 that 8 million people – including large blocks of Hispanics – were placed in new districts, represented by different U.S. House members, justices were told.