The North Carolina state Senate is expected to approve a new congressional redistricting map Tuesday, Oct. 24.

The state Senate had proposed two congressional redistricting maps.  One divided Guilford County into two congressional districts and also all but assured Republicans of winning 11 of the 14 congressional seats.

However, the map that was approved by state Senate committees on Monday, Oct. 23 and is expected to be approved by the full state Senate Tuesday divides Guilford County into three congressional districts and all but assures the Republicans of winning 10 congressional seats, three seats are heavily Democratic and one seat leans Democrat but is expected to be competitive.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, the House is expected to approve the state House redistricting map and the state Senate is expected to approve the state Senate redistricting map and the congressional redistricting map.

The plan is for all the maps to be approved by both chambers on Wednesday. The governor has no veto power over redistricting maps, which means they become law once they are passed by both legislative chambers.

However, it is anticipated that some if not all of the maps will face legal challenges.  The current North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that it is no authority to rule on legal challenges based on the maps being overly partisan, so challenges based on so called “gerrymandering” are out.

The congressional map that passed out of the state Senate Committees and is expected to be passed by both chambers, places most of Greensboro and northwestern Guilford County in District 5 along with Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, Caldwell, Alexander and Wilkes counties. Part of Greensboro and High Point and southwest Guilford County is in the 6th District along with eastern and southern portions of Forsyth County, Davie, Davidson, Rowan counties and a portion of Cabarrus County. The eastern portion of Guilford County is in the 9th Congressional District along with Alamance, Randolph, Moore and Hoke counties and portions of Cumberland and Chatham counties.

All three of those districts, the 5th, the 6th and the 9th are heavily Republican.

While it is anticipated that amendments to the map will be proposed by Democratic legislators, no significant changes to the congressional redistricting map are expected to be approved by the Republican majority.