(The Center Square) – With only decisions tied to new maps drawn this year undecided, a federal three-judge panel said complaints about 2023 maps drawn by North Carolina lawmakers “failed to prove any of their claims” on vote dilution and racial gerrymandering.
Judges in a 181-page ruling said they were not convinced Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, discriminated against Black voters without using racial data because he already knew racial demographics. The maps were used in the 2024 election cycle and included one of 14 districts expected to rate as a toss-up, with 10 others projected to go Republican and three Democratic.
In the election, 10 Republicans and four Democrats were chosen, with Democratic Rep. Don Davis winning the 1st Congressional District in the northeastern part of the state. With statewide turnout 73.3%, all 13 others were no closer than 13% difference.
In the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Judge Allison Jones from the U.S. Appeals Court, and U.S. District Court Justices Richard Myers and Thomas Schroeder wrote in part, “Having considered the entire record, judged the credibility of each witness, and weighed all the evidence, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have failed to prove any of their claims against Defendants regarding the 2023 redistricting.”
The two litigations added complaints about Senate Bill 249 passed in October, the initiative to redraw the maps for the 2026 cycle making changes to the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts. Final judgment for all claims rests with a decision on that map.
There are two cases enjoined as a result of a first filing by the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, Common Cause and six voters. A second case was filed against the maps tied to Marc Elias’ law firm involving 18 other individuals.
To the racial claims, the judges wrote, “Voters under the 2023 plan continue to elect Black candidates at the federal and state level at rates at or above racial parity.”
Justices cited, for the General Assembly, 23.3% in the state House of Representatives and 20% of state senators. For the U.S. House, it was 21.4%. In North Carolina, Blacks are 21.4% of voting-age population and 22.5% of total population, the judges wrote.
Differentiations because of court orders have been in each map used for four of the last five congressional elections – 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. The Legislature’s draw in 2024 was the other.
For the new maps in litigious question for 2026, a century-old streak is on the line within it. The last time the U.S. House representative in the northeastern part of the state was won by a Republican was 1882.
