| |
NC GOP Announce Vote on New House Map 10/14 06:08
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina Republican legislative leaders
announced plans Monday to vote next week on redrawing the state's U.S. House
district map, taking up President Donald Trump's call to secure more GOP seats
nationwide and resist rival moves by Democrats.
The push to retool already right-leaning boundaries for the ninth-largest
state comes amid a major party battle spanning several states to revamp
district lines to partisan advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
North Carolina Republicans created a map in 2023 that resulted in GOP
candidates winning 10 of the state's 14 U.S. House seats in 2024. That compared
to a 7-7 seat split between Democrats and the GOP under the map used in 2022.
Now only one of the House districts --- the 1st District currently
represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis --- is considered a true swing
district and could be targeted by the GOP for an 11th seat. Davis won a second
term last year by less than 2 percentage points, so shifting slightly portions
of the district covering more than 20 northeastern counties could help a
Republican candidate in a strong GOP year. But it could weaken districts held
by GOP incumbents.
The state's top Republican legislators said their planned action follows
Trump's "call urging legislatures across the country to take action to nullify
Democrat redistricting efforts." Davis wasn't mentioned by name in their news
release.
Trump "earned a clear mandate from the voters of North Carolina and the rest
of the country, and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican
Congressional seat," House Speaker Destin Hall said in the release. Trump has
won North Carolina's electoral votes all three times that he's been on the
presidential ballot.
But state House Democratic leader Robert Reives said Monday his GOP
colleagues "are stealing a congressional district in order to shield themselves
from accountability at the ballot box."
Redistricting fight started in Texas, then spread
Trump kickstarted the national redistricting battle over the summer by
urging Republican-led Texas to reshape its U.S. House districts so the GOP
could win more seats next year. After overcoming a Democratic walkout, Texas
lawmakers redrew the districts to give Republicans a shot at five more seats.
California Democrats reciprocated by passing their own redistricting plan
aimed at helping their party win five additional seats, a plan needing voter
approval in November to be implemented.
And lawmakers in Republican-led Missouri have approved revised U.S. House
districts intended to help Republicans pick up an additional seat there. Other
states also are considering redistricting, including Republican-led Indiana and
Kansas.
Some North Carolina GOP lawmakers focused complaints Monday on California
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who advanced his state's redistricting effort.
"Picking up where Texas left off, we will hold votes in our October session
to redraw North Carolina's congressional map to ensure Gavin Newsom doesn't
decide the congressional majority," Senate leader Phil Berger said.
Responding on X, Newsom called Berger "another lap dog Republican" and
accused the GOP of "rigging elections and trying to cover it up with lies."
Democratic governor lacks veto power on district lines
North Carolina lawmakers already had planned for a multiday session starting
Oct. 20. Republicans hold majorities in both General Assembly chambers and
redistricting plans aren't subject to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's veto stamp.
Candidate filing for 2026 is supposed to begin Dec. 1.
Addressing voters, Stein said in a statement that "shameless politicians are
abusing their power to take away yours" with a redraw.
An intensely competitive midterm election looms in which Democrats need to
gain just three seats to take control of the House. The president's party
historically has lost seats in midterm elections, something Trump is trying to
avoid. A Democratic takeover could impede Trump's agenda and lead to
investigations of his actions, as occurred during his first term in office.
Litigation could alter, derail some map changes
If and how North Carolina legislators create a more favorable redraw may
depend on pending litigation filed by the state NAACP, Common Cause and voters
challenging several current congressional districts, including the one
represented by Davis, one of three Black representatives from North Carolina.
The plaintiffs accuse Republican lawmakers of racially discriminating against
Black voters by splitting or packing their voting blocs to help GOP candidates
win. The trial ended in July without an immediate ruling.
U.S. House districts typically are redrawn once a decade, after a census.
But some states have no prohibition on doing it more frequently. And the U.S.
Supreme Court has said there is no federal prohibition on political
gerrymandering, in which districts are intentionally drawn to favor one party.
Opponents have filed lawsuits alleging Texas' latest redistricting
unconstitutionally dilutes the votes of minority residents and that Missouri's
mid-decade redistricting isn't allowed under the state constitution. Meanwhile,
Utah's Republican-led Legislature recently endorsed an altered congressional
map -- though in response to a court order, not Trump's demands.
|
|
