(UnitedVoice.com) – Gerrymandering, the art of drafting districts that favor one party or candidate over another, is nothing new. To a certain extent, it is a long-term effect of a particular party dominating an election cycle. As the adage notes, to the victor go the spoils, and North Carolina is no exception to that rule.
In 2022, the courts interceded in the state legislature’s redrafting efforts for the upcoming November general elections. The North Carolina Supreme Court rejected the new maps, and a trial court later accepted a new map drawn by Democrats and Republicans to divide the state’s 14 congressional seats seven to seven. Democrats held a four-to-three majority on the NC Supreme Court at the time.
After the 2022 general election, Republicans gained control of the state’s highest court by a margin of five to two. In 2023, the NC Supreme Court ruled that the courts couldn’t review challenges to the state’s latest district map, paving the way to create a new one.
GOP lawmakers are smiling now as new data shows multiple House seats will likely flip due to the latest districting efforts.
GOP Looks To Pick Up Multiple Seats Thanks to North Carolina Districting
On March 6, Fox News published an article detailing Republicans’ new-found advantage in three congressional districts in North Carolina. Under recently drafted maps, legislators expect three to flip from blue to red during the November general elections.
Fox News explained that under the new district maps, North Carolina’s congressional delegation will likely shift from its current seven-to-seven level to one favoring Republicans, 10 to four. According to Fox, three Democrats, Representatives Kathy Manning (6th Congressional District), Wiley Nickel (13th US District), and Jeff Jackson (14th US District), decided not to run for another term.
North Carolina’s Republican House Speaker, Tim Moore, appeared to benefit as a clear winner. He won the GOP nomination for the 14th district, all but guaranteeing him a seat in the US House. He decided to leave the state assembly after serving there for 21 years. Candidates for the other two districts, the 6th and 13th, are heading to runoffs because none of the declared candidates received more than 30% of the votes.
Republicans currently hold a slim margin of 219 to 213 in the House with three vacancies, meaning every potential seat they pick up could make a huge difference when the new Congress is sworn into office next January. Starting with a three-seat advantage this early in the election cycle could play a considerable role in boosting morale within the party moving forward.
Copyright 2024, UnitedVoice.com
