Federal Courthouse in Winston-Salem, NC (Photo: Lynn Bonner/NC Newsline)
Another set of GOP redistricting opponents want to update their federal lawsuit to include North Carolina’s redrawn 1st Congressional District.
Republicans in the legislature last week redrew boundaries for two of North Carolina’s 14 congressional districts — the 1st District and the 3rd District — to create another GOP seat at the behest of President Donald Trump.
The North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause, and individual voters asked federal judges who are deciding whether the 1st District boundaries used in 2024 are proper to amend their complaint to take into account the new district lines. The district is part of an ongoing lawsuit that includes other congressional districts and some state Senate districts where opponents have claimed boundaries were set to dilute the power of Black voters. A three-judge panel heard arguments in the lawsuit last summer but have not issued an opinion.
The updated complaint claims that Republicans retaliated against some of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs by drawing them out of the 1st District, where they voted for incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Davis.
“Construing plaintiffs’ civil rights lawsuit as a ‘sue-until-blue’ tactic, legislative leaders responded to plaintiffs’ lawsuit by targeting Congressional District 1 and plaintiffs for even more extreme vote dilution,” the amended complaint says.
Another set of voters who sued over the plans asked the judges last week to amend their complaint to include the new 1st District.
As of Tuesday morning, the judges have not said whether they would allow the amendments.
In a filing Monday, lawyers for Republican legislative leaders said they did not object to the first plaintiffs’ request to amend their complaint.
“Legislative defendants do not oppose the Court’s consideration of these new claims and will defend them on the merits,” the Republicans’ lawyers wrote. The Republicans’ lawyers learned that the NAACP plaintiffs also planned to amend their complaint. “Pending further review, legislative defendants do not presently anticipate opposing such a request,” they wrote.
North Carolina is part of a wave of mid-decade redistricting triggered by Trump’s effort to keep a Republican majority in the U.S. House after next year’s midterm elections. Republicans have a slim hold on the majority and the president’s party typically loses ground in the midterms.
Texas redrew its congressional districts when Trump asked. California voters will be asked to change that state’s district map to add as many as five Democratic districts.
Missouri redrew its lines in September to add another Republican seat. Virginia and Indiana joined the redistricting wars this week.
State legislatures draw new election district boundaries after they receive census population data and usually only draw new lines mid-decade when they’re under court order.
The 1st District was North Carolina’s only toss-up in 2024. Davis narrowly won a second term last year.
On Tuesday, Davis introduced a bill that would retroactively ban mid-decade redistricting unless a court orders it or a statewide referendum is conducted to comply with the Constitution or the federal Voting Rights Act.
“The only solution to prevent this ongoing domino-redistricting effect and power struggle between different states is to immediately hit reset. We must work to restore electoral stability to enhance trust,” Davis said in a statement.
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