Across the country, a D.C. watchdog group is warning that ongoing court battles and legislative fights will have a major impact on the 2026 midterm elections. Those battles include what Common Cause terms a gerrymandering case in North Carolina.
In a briefing with experts from across the country last week, Common Cause North Carolina Policy Director Ann Webb said a trial is now underway in Winston-Salem over allegations that GOP legislative leaders violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023.
She said, “This case is fundamentally about the majority party in the state legislature, who are currently Republicans targeting black voters in drawing those maps because they reliably vote against their party and this constitutes a willful disregard of the requirements of the Voting Rights Act.”
Webb said they outcome of the lawsuits could have a significant impact on the upcoming midterms.
“There are 14 congressional districts in North Carolina, all half of them are part of this lawsuit. So we'll be watching closely to see what happens as this as this lawsuit moves forward,” she said.
Two additional days of testimony are expected on July 8 and 9, when the court will hear from the state legislative leaders who are defendants in the case, as well as other witnesses, and then closing arguments in the case.
