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North Carolina Redistricting Trial Begins, With Racial Gerrymandering Allegations the Focus

June 19, 2025

North Carolina is currently facing federal lawsuits challenging Republican-drawn congressional and legislative districts, with plaintiffs alleging the maps illegally diminish Black voting power. The contested 2024 electoral maps helped Republicans maintain state legislative majorities and flip three U.S. House seats from Democrats to Republicans, contributing to the GOP's narrow control of the House. Plaintiffs claim the districts violate the Voting Rights Act by submerging or diluting Black voting blocs across multiple districts, particularly in the Piedmont Triad region, while Republican lawmakers defend their approach as race-blind and based on permissible partisan considerations.

Who is affected

  • Black and Latino voters in North Carolina
  • Democratic voters and candidates
  • Former Democratic U.S. House Representatives who chose not to seek reelection
  • North Carolina residents represented in state legislature and Congress
  • The North Carolina NAACP and Common Cause (plaintiffs)

What action is being taken

  • A three-judge federal panel is conducting a trial in Winston-Salem to evaluate the lawsuits
  • Plaintiffs are presenting expert testimony about the impact of the maps on minority voting power
  • Republican lawmakers are defending their redistricting process as race-blind and legally partisan
  • Legal teams are examining evidence including maps, demographic data, and expert analysis
  • The trial is proceeding with witness testimony scheduled through July 9

Why it matters

  • The current maps helped Republicans flip three U.S. House seats, contributing to their narrow control of the House
  • The redistricting outcome affects political representation in North Carolina through 2030 unless changed
  • The case represents another chapter in North Carolina's extensive history of redistricting litigation
  • The outcome could impact the balance of political power both in North Carolina and nationally
  • The case addresses fundamental questions about the Voting Rights Act and racial considerations in redistricting

What's next

  • The trial will continue until July 9 with testimony from individual plaintiffs, state legislators, historians, and mapping experts
  • Both sides will file additional briefs by early August
  • The three-judge panel will issue a ruling that can be appealed
  • If the current maps are rejected, new districts would need to be drawn by late fall to meet the December 1 candidate filing deadline for 2026 elections
  • Two other lawsuits challenging the 2023 district boundaries are still pending

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint