A federal lawsuit claims that North Carolina’s newly redrawn congressional districts intentionally discriminate against minority voters. The lawsuit, filed as candidate filing for the 2024 elections opened, challenges the use of the new Republican-backed voting lines, which, unless blocked, will be in effect through 2030.
The lawsuit argues that the state’s increased representation in Congress, largely due to a growing non-white population, was not reflected in the new maps, which are alleged to diminish minority voting power and favor white conservatives. Four specific districts are challenged as unconstitutional racial gerrymanders, including Districts 1, 6, 12, and 14. A successful challenge could necessitate a redraw of many, if not all, other congressional districts.
Named defendants in the lawsuit include Republican leaders of the state General Assembly and state elections officials. House Speaker Tim Moore expressed confidence that the maps would withstand judicial scrutiny, dismissing the allegations as baseless.
The lawsuit also notes that the districts used in the 2022 elections, which were evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, were drawn by experts under court order after the original maps were deemed unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The new maps are said to create a pro-Republican split by densely packing Democrats into a few districts while spreading others across multiple districts combined with rural areas.
State GOP leaders defend their redistricting as within their constitutional authority, but the lawsuit alleges a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause, continuing a tradition of gerrymandering designed to weaken minority voter influence.
Primary Sources: WRAL Rating. The Hill Rating
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