Under the Dome: What NC districts are challenged in new fair elections lawsuit?
Hello and welcome to your Under the Dome newsletter. Kyle Ingram here.
What districts are at stake in new fair elections lawsuit?
North Carolina now has four separate redistricting lawsuits going on simultaneously, most of which allege that the new Republican-crafted maps disadvantage minority voters.
However, on Wednesday, a unique lawsuit was filed with representation from former state Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr. Unlike the first three cases, this suit was filed in state court, rather than federal. Orr’s lawsuit makes the argument that the state Constitution guarantees the right to “fair” elections — even though it doesn’t specifically spell it out.
Republicans drawing districts specifically to favor their own party violates this right, the lawsuit argues.
It could be a long-shot argument for state courts, especially considering that the Supreme Court ruled last year that it does not have jurisdiction over claims of partisan gerrymandering.
So what districts are at stake in this new challenge?
6th Congressional District
The lawsuit targets three congressional districts currently represented by Democrats but almost certain to flip Republican in 2024.
The first, represented by Rep. Kathy Manning, used to include all of Guilford and Rockingham counties and most of Caswell County. In the new map, it retains only a small portion of western Guilford and incorporates all of Davidson, Rowan and Davie counties as well as some of Forsyth and Cabarrus.
13th Congressional District
Represented by Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel, this district used to include all of Johnston County as well as southern Wake and parts of Wayne and Harnett counties. In the new map, CD-13 snakes around the edges of Wake County while incorporating all of Caswell, Person, Franklin, Johnston, Lee and Harnett counties.
14th Congressional District
Represented by Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson, CD-14 used to include southern Mecklenburg County and most of Gaston County. In the new plan, the district only includes the northern tip and western edges of Mecklenburg, while taking in all of Gaston, Cleveland, Rutherford and Burke counties.
Senate District 7
Orr’s lawsuit also targets two districts in the General Assembly.
This district, currently represented by Republican Sen. Michael Lee, includes most of New Hanover County in both the new and old maps — the issue is which part is left out. The lawsuit alleges that the new district intentionally removed Democratic and minority voters by putting them into the neighboring Senate District 8, which includes Columbus and Brunswick counties.
House District 105
This Mecklenburg County district is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Wesley Harris, who is running for state treasurer in 2024. Rep. Tricia Cotham, who switched parties from Democrat to Republican last year, will run in this district. The lawsuit alleges that the new composition of HD-105 turned it from “a competitive, Democratic leaning district to a district leaning Republican.”
That’s all for today. Check your inbox on Sunday for more #ncpol news.
You can sign up to receive the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters. Want your friends to get our email, too? Forward them this newsletter so they can sign up here.
We want to know what you would like to see in the Under the Dome newsletter. Do you like highlights from the legislature? Political analysis? Do you have a question you’d like The News & Observer team to answer? Tell us here. You can also email us at dome@newsobserver.com
Don’t forget to follow our tweets and listen to our Under the Dome podcast for more developments.
