One new Republican-drawn North Carolina Congressional map released yesterday would give the GOP a clear advantage in 11 of 14 districts. The state’s current map has seven Democrats and seven Republicans.
Republican map-makers efficiently packed the state’s Democrats into three districts that Joe Biden won overwhelmingly, by at least 40 percentage points in each.
If that map is passed, Democrats would be heavily favored in those three districts - in Charlotte, Raleigh, and the rural northeast. Republicans would be expected to win the other 11.
Another proposed map is only slightly better for Democrats. It gives them safe seats in Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham.
A seat in the rural northeast held by Democrat Don Davis would be a toss-up. In both maps, Democratic Congressman Jeff Jackson would be placed in heavily Republican districts, making it difficult for him to win re-election.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled four years ago that it won’t strike down maps based on partisan gerrymandering, saying it would leave that to state courts.
Republicans currently have a 5-2 majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court. That means the only brake on North Carolina map-makers is if federal courts find they engaged in racial gerrymandering.