N.C General Assembly Passes New Congressional Map: The North Carolina lawmakers done gone and passed new maps, reckon they did, that’s like giving Republicans three extra seats in the U.S. House come 2024.
After them Supreme Court folks in NC decided them maps from 2021 were too crooked, the Republicans, with a majority on the court, turned it around. Now, they got them new maps leaning more to the right.
In the 2022 midterms, the congressional map had seven Democrats and seven Republicans. But this newfangled map, Senate Bill 757, tips the hat to Republicans in 10 districts, giving Democrats only three, with one district in a real pickle.
Since 2011, they’ve been redrawing’ maps like they’re picking’ a banjo at a hoedown. Them Duke folks at Quantifying Gerrymandering reckon this map is even more crooked than the last one, giving it an “F” overall, especially for fairness and competitiveness.
Now, Eric Holder, a bigwig Democrat, says North Carolina’s one of the most crooked states in the country. Mac McCorkle, who knows his way around the law, says the Supreme Court done given the green light for states to gerrymander all they want. Democrats, he says, are wasting their votes ’cause they’re huddled up in them ten counties.
And there’s more! Them state legislature maps, for the NC House and Senate, lookin’ like they’ll hand strong majorities to them Republicans. The John Locke Foundation says the state Senate map’s got 28 seats leaning Republican, 17 leaning Democrat, and five just sitting’ on the fence. The House map’s got 69 Republican-leaning seats, 48 Democrat-leaning, and three playin’ hard to get.
To keep them veto-proof supermajorities, Republicans win 72 seats in the House and 30 in the Senate. It’s a head-scratcher, ain’t it?
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Now, since that 2019 Supreme Court ruling’, state courts got the say on gerrymandering. But McCorkle says the U.S. Supreme Court’s just shrugging’ and saying it’s a political question, and them conservative folks on the NC Supreme Court are nodding’ along.
McCorkle’s betting’ the courts might see these maps as a bit racial, taking’ away the voice of Black folks more than just them Democrats. But with the U.S. Supreme Court dealing’ the cards, he’s sayin’ there’s not much legal jibber-jabber left.
So, them North Carolina Democrats, down in the dumps, better start thinkin’ ’bout winning back that state Supreme Court. But McCorkle warns, goin’ too wild on gerrymandering could come back to nip them Republicans in the bud if them Democrats catch a wave.
Our Reader’s Queries
How often do congressional maps change?
The redistribution of representatives in the United States House of Representatives, known as reapportionment, is mandated by Article One of the United States Constitution. This process happens every ten years and is based on the population of each state, as determined by the decennial United States census.
Who decides how congressional districts are mapped?
The congressional districts are defined by the state laws or court orders. Each state sets the districts for the 113th through 116th congressional sessions using the 2010 Census results.
How many House districts are there in the NC General Assembly?
The North Carolina General Assembly is made up of two Houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. It includes 50 State Senate districts with 50 Senators and 120 State House districts with 120 Representatives.
How do I find my NC House district?
The county board of elections assigns districts to registered voters in each county, utilizing their knowledge of local geography to identify your representatives.