Filing for the 2022 elections reopened as scheduled on Thursday, Feb. 24 after rulings made by the North Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday, Feb. 23.
The NC Supreme Court decided to “split the baby” and approved the redrawn state legislative districts approved by the state legislature with a Republican majority, but it allowed the three-judge panel to redraw the congressional districts to make them more Democratic.
The redrawn state House districts passed the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan majorities and were not challenged. However, the state legislature filed an appeal over the congressional districts and the plaintiffs filed an appeal over the state Senate districts. The NC Supreme Court denied the appeals.
In the original redistricting map Guilford County was divided into three congressional districts. When the NC Supreme Court ruled that map unconstitutional, the legislature redrew the map and Guilford County was divided into two congressional districts and that was not approved by the three-judge panel.
The congressional redistricting map was redrawn by the special masters under the direction of the three-judge panel and approved by the NC Supreme Court. In the current congressional redistricting map Guilford County is entirely in the 6th Congressional District. The 6th District also includes most of Winston-Salem in Forsyth County, all of Rockingham County and Caswell County minus a couple of precincts in the northeast corner.
The redistricting map drawn by the special masters and approved by the three-judge panel and NC Supreme Court, reportedly divides the state evenly between Republicans and Democrats with one toss up district. The redrawn map by the state legislature which was ruled unconstitutional reportedly had four toss up districts.
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, President Pro Tem of the state Senate Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said in a press release, “The General Assembly’s remedial legislative maps met all of the court-mandated tests and were constitutionally compliant. A bipartisan panel of Special Masters affirmed that. We’re thankful for the trial court’s ruling today. We disagree with the interim Congressional map imposed by the Special Masters and are seeking a stay of that map, however, it’s time to move on and allow the filing period to begin tomorrow morning.”
So, Kathy Manning keeps her seat. Think she knew in advance this would happen? That may explain her remaining so silent during this arduous process.
And life goes on…….
“The redistricting map drawn by the special masters ”
Who are these “special masters” That’s a position in the masons isn’t it? What makes them “special”? What makes them “masters”?
Sounds like it was high-jacked to me.
At this point just print the damn ballots!
Delays are only keeping incompetents in longer & delaying filings for valid candidates worthy of a look.
Weve had enough from the aptly named Special Masters. @Slave2Liberty (Matt Baker) is right.
Why bother to have our republican legislators draw the maps? The democrat judges are going to undermine everything they do so let the judges draw the maps. That would shorten the process. Republicans don’t have a chance in this state and never will as long as conservatives sit on their a double s’s and not vote. Wake up!
When did our tried and true process that the State Legislators make the laws and regulations and the Judical branch upholds those laws. It now appears the the judges have taken over both branches in dictating we can’t have voter ID (which was approved overwhelmingly by the majority of voters) and now they are controlling our voting districts. As pacloc states, why even have an elected legislative branch when these judges are just going to rule as they please? Democrats using George Soros’ money are pouring millions into campaigns for liberal judges all over the country. Every Republican/Conservative must get out to vote. It’s the ONLY way to stop this from further destruction of our legislative process.
Why not draw the maps fair in the first place?
No such thing. No matter how you draw…someone wins and someone loses….
I figured there was no point in hoping to be saved from Manning and I was correct. Now there’s no point in voting. I don’t see any reason to go to the voting booth again. That’s what they wanted. I’m tired.
How convenient for Guilford County to get the same liberal representation from Kathy Manning, and I see they carved out east Forsyth County to ensure a larger liberal leaning vote. Hopefully, the folks in Stokes County will show her the door.
Nothing in the North Carolina Constitution prohibiting gerrymandering…the Democrats have been doing it in this state for 100 years until the Republicans won majority. Now all of the sudden judges get to “oversee” map making? Where too is that in the Constitution? The Judicial branch has NO role in making political maps…not 100 years ago, not since 1971, and not in supposed to be in 2022…but I guess Democrat Activist judges don’t care much for any Constitution…