Feb. 28. By Dave Vieser. Just when you thought we had heard the last of appeals regarding new voting maps and districts in North Carolina, top state GOP officials said “not so fast” late Friday, filing an emergency appeal with the US Supreme Court. Their action is only directed at the new Congressional maps adopted on Feb. 23; the NC House and Senate maps were not included in the appeal.
Whether the highest court in the land will even take up the appeal is very much in doubt, but Republican leaders in Raleigh decided to give it one last try. Their appeal is essentially based on the belief that state courts went beyond the legal scope of their power in having the maps redrawn.
Background
The state Supreme Court ruled that the legislatures’ map districts for North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats was unconstitutionally gerrymandered. GOP lawmakers came up with a new map but a three judge panel rejected that version, and had a panel of experts create a new, different map instead.
That’s the process which the GOP objects to.
“The United States Constitution is clear – state legislatures, not state judges, are responsible for setting the rules governing elections,” said House Speaker Tim Moore.
What happened to the 13th?
Locally, former County Commissioner Karen Bentley and former Huntersville Mayor John Aneralla had launched campaigns to run for a new 13th Congressional district that was expected to be created that would include North Mecklenburg. Both campaigns appear to be up in the air if not suspended at this time.
Now there’s a new 14th District that NC Sen. Jeff Jackson says he will file for.
Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam said he was very hopeful that we would get a North Mecklenburg resident representing us in Congress.
Mayor Woody Washam
“It’s disappointing that the State Supreme Court overruled the legislature on a function that is clearly their responsibility,” he said, explaining that he is hopeful that the US Supreme Court will restore the legislature’s “clear responsibility.”
All that said, he is “delighted that we will now have 2 State Senators that will each represent portions of Cornelius and that NC House District 98 did not change much.”
Filing underway
John Bradford, Christy Clark
Meanwhile, filing for the May 17 primary continues this week at the state Board of Elections. Some recent filings include a rematch between NC Rep. John Bradford (R) and Democrat Christy Clark in District 98.
Incumbent Sen. Natasha Marcus, a Democrat, has filed to run for re-election in District 41. She had initially been “double-bunked” with Republican Vickie Sawyer making her re-election more problematic, but the General Assembly removed the double-bunking when they redrew the maps earlier this month.
