For the time being, at least, we won’t have special elections in 2017.
There seems to be no dissent on the decision.
In recent weeks, Democrats have been hyping up the 2017 special elections as a way to possibly break the House and Senate legislative super-majorities, but this stay will remain in place until the Supreme Court takes further action. Given that the maps are supposed to be in place with primaries are supposed to be in late summer, they’ll have to move fast.
“We are grateful the U.S. Supreme Court has quashed judicial activism and rejected an attempt to nullify the votes of North Carolinians in the 2016 legislative elections,” Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore, both Republicans, said in a joint statement released after the decision.
Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Orange), who has been vocal on Democratic candidate recruitment for the 2017 special elections, said he was disappointed in the decision.
“North Carolinians concerned about gerrymandering should be disappointed by Chief Justice Roberts’ intervention in this case,” he told the INDY via email. “The back and forth dragging on in the courts makes it clear that we need a non-partisan redistricting process.”
“For Democrats, this is a setback in our plans for winning back power in the legislature, but it does not stop our momentum,” he continued. “We are committed to working with Governor Cooper and to winning back seats in the next elections.”
This is a developing story, check back here for updates.
