North Carolina began a redistricting trial this week to rule whether new congressional maps unfairly gerrymander elections. The North Carolina State Supreme Court pushed back the March 2022 primary elections to May allowing the state trial courts to review lawsuits surrounding claims the district maps unfairly favor Republicans.
Experts say the maps currently being debated in the state trial favor Republican candidates to win and potentially gain districts. This is especially important at the federal level because the state gained an additional U.S. House seat from the 2020 U.S. Census.
The maps as they are project Republicans to win at least 10 of the 14 U.S. House seats while also strengthening the Republican majority in the state legislature. A plaintiff in the trial said statistical data supports gerrymandering claims.
One state representative in favor of changing the maps is Democrat Graig Meyer. He serves in the North Carolina General Assembly representing House District 50, which covers Orange County.
Meyer recently spoke with 97.9 The Hill about what’s to come in the state legislature in 2022. He said while a ruling may come early next week its likely the State Supreme Court will pick up the case.
“Even though we’re going to get a ruling by January 11 from this trial court, this is really perfunctory,” Meyer said. “It’s the ruling that’s going to come from the Supreme Court that is going to matter.”
Meyer said this ruling could determine what avenue North Carolina takes with its maps: whether voters will vote under the current maps the General Assembly approved or a new set of maps drawn by the General Assembly or a court-ordered entity.
“It’s hard to say which way the Supreme Court will rule,” Meyer said.
The current North Carolina Supreme Court has a 4-3 democratic majority. In 2020, with a 6-1 democratic majority the court decided not to take up the appeal on a separate redistricting case prior to the 2020 election.
Meyer said since this year is a different set of maps and different set of circumstances, it’s unclear what a more closely divided court might do. He said he hopes to see a more representative set of maps himself.
“As the expert witnesses testified yesterday, the maps that were drawn almost entirely by Republicans in the legislature were drawn in a way – to use the language that was used in the trial yesterday – [that] ‘optimizes’ the chances for Republicans to win seats,” Meyer said.
Looking further ahead to 2022, Meyer said his policy goals include the legalization of medical marijuana with a future goal of full legalization and decriminalization. Additionally, he aims to advocate for the investment in the professionalization of mental health and legislation surrounding education in the state.
The North Carolina primary elections are scheduled for May 17.
Photo via the North Carolina General Assembly
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