North Carolina Republicans’ maps represent a blatant disenfranchisement of Black and Brown voters

Yesterday, a day after Texas’ racially gerrymandered maps were struck down, a three-judge federal panel held its first hearing on whether to block North Carolina’s rigged congressional maps, which could lead to this Republican gerrymander getting overturned. In October, North Carolina Republicans passed an unfair map that carves Democratic Congressman Don Davis out of his district and reduces Black voters in the 1st Congressional District from 40% of the population to 32%, further diluting Black voting power in the state.

North Carolina is already one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. 10 Republicans and only four Democrats represent the state in Congress, despite the fact that the state continues to elect Democrats statewide. 

Donald Trump and his allies are trying to rig North Carolina’s maps because he knows how deeply unpopular his Big Ugly Bill is, which kicks 450,000 North Carolinians off their health insurance and puts five rural hospitals on the brink of closure.

In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin issued the following statement:

“North Carolina Democrats continue to fight for fair representation — and now this fight turns to the courts. Echoing what we saw in Texas, North Carolina Republicans passed a rigged congressional map that further weakens the voting power of Black and Brown communities across the state. Republicans are trying to cheat because they know how angry North Carolina voters are after Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, which kicks almost half a million of their friends and neighbors off their health insurance. Democrats won’t stand by while Republicans try to rig our democracy. We urge the courts to protect the will of North Carolina voters and reject Republicans’ racially gerrymandered maps.”