North Carolina’s gerrymandering saga is over, at least for now.
The new maps will likely ensure Republicans maintain dominance in the state’s congressional seats–albeit with smaller margins–much to Democrats dismay.
A three-judge panel unanimously ruled that the congressional districts drawn by the NC General Assembly will be acceptable for the 2020 elections.
The NC Board of Elections stated in a press release that candidate filing for NC’s thirteen congressional districts would begin immediately.
The redrawn districts were put on hold by the NC Superior Court in November while courts mulled over the partisan makeup of the districts and decided if they met the requirements of the court’s recent gerrymandering ruling.
The new districts give the Republican party an 8-5 advantage, despite the fact that there are nearly a half million more registered Democrats in the state.
“North Carolina Republicans yet again run out the clock on fair maps, denying justice to North Carolina voters and forcing our state to go another election using undemocratic district lines,” says NC Democratic Party chairman Wayne Goodwin. “North Carolina Democrats will not stop fighting for truly fair maps where voters – not undemocratically-elected politicians – choose their representatives.”
Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives can start filing Monday, along with those running for U.S. Senate, state office, and various judicial positions. Everyone who intends to run has until December 20 at noon to file with the NC Board of Elections.
As of Monday afternoon, no candidates had filed to run for U.S. House of Representatives.
Primary elections will start March 3. The general election will take place on November 3.
UPDATE: This story has been updated to clarify that the maps affect state congressional districts.