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RALEIGH A federal court panel ruled on Friday that two of North Carolina's congressional districts are racial gerrymanders and must be redrawn in a week.
An order, written by U.S. Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory, also bars elections in North Carolina's 1st and 12th congressional districts until new maps are approved.
The ruling by the three-judge panel in federal court comes more than two years after David Harris, a registered voter in Durham County, filed a lawsuit with Christine Bowser and Samuel Love, both registered voters from Mecklenburg County, seeking an invalidation of the two districts, which were represented at the time by Democrats — G.K. Butterfield in District 1 and Mel Watt in District 12.
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Critics of the 2011 Republican-led redistricting contend the map lines were drawn to concentrate black voters in districts that reduced their overall political power.
The lawsuit decided on Friday is one of several challenging the maps in federal and state court.
we should just go back and figure out the closest apportionment by population, and then by "common interest". The Triangle and Charlotte would each have probably 3 US representatives, the Triad would get 1, maybe 2, and then everywhere else would get their 1 rep for every 8-10 counties.
Racial and socio-economic background wouldn't make a bit of difference, it would be purely population and then grouping the "OBX and nearby" versus the "Hog growing counties of ENC"
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Let's start at the coast & just block off districts. Let the districts be whatever they are. My district is one of their masterpieces. If they have to fix district 12 it will affect mine. Can't happen soon enough.
I would expect the state to appeal....and a long legal battle to continue.
If the state does not appeal and the districts were redrawn, I don't expect it to be a big difference in elections anyways, considering who will be drawing the districts again.
I've heard district 1 referred to as "majority minority" and it is virtually impossible for a republican to win that district. How does this undermine blacks' voting power? GK is black and is pretty much assured a win term after term.
I've heard district 1 referred to as "majority minority" and it is virtually impossible for a republican to win that district. How does this undermine blacks' voting power? GK is black and is pretty much assured a win term after term.
Because it takes D voters from other districts that may have closer elections if the D voters were spread to other districts. The Dems don't need ALL their votes in one district...
I've heard district 1 referred to as "majority minority" and it is virtually impossible for a republican to win that district. How does this undermine blacks' voting power? GK is black and is pretty much assured a win term after term.
Because that's what Gerrymandering does....isolates folks into ONE district heavily skewed to one political party's favor....in order to keep them from being spread around enough to have actual voting power in the popular vote.
1 heavily democratic district will elect only 1 democratic representative. But if districts 1 and 12 were split to make more sense geographically and not isolate black voters; the surrounding districts would be more competitive instead of being republican strongholds like they are now.
One election our representative was Ellmers, the next it was Price. I always thought of the 4th district as being Durham and Orange counties but this changed in 2012.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bfkidd
One election our representative was Ellmers, the next it was Price. I always thought of the 4th district as being Durham and Orange counties but this changed in 2012.
Look at the difference between the last versions & the "new & improved" versions.
I hope that someone from Asheville has filed a lawsuit over them landing in District 10. Asheville & Gastonia were added to cancel each other out.
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