The next GOP-proposed map of North Carolina congressional districts
I’m not much for modern technology so I don’t have a GPS in my car. Besides, I’m pretty adept at reading a map, or at least I thought I was until I tried to analyze the most recent congressional district map drawn up and passed by our Republican-controlled General Assembly last Thursday.
Earlier this year, the GOP’s previous attempt at re-districting had been rejected by a three-judge panel, which is now expected to rule on the revised version this week. If accepted by the Court, the new map will include a 14th district allocated to the state as a result of the 2020 Census. Still, even with the addition of a new district, the re-drawn map isn’t likely to change the overall political advantage that Republican candidates have enjoyed for years. Currently, North Carolina’s Congressional delegation includes eight Republicans and five Democrats, but the Associated Press predicts the new configuration is likely to include six, solid red districts, two as “slightly” favoring the GOP, four blue districts, and two as “likely toss-ups.” That means we could possibly end up with ten Republicans and four Democrats representing our state in the halls of Congress.
To be fair, throughout our history, both major political parties have engaged in gerrymandering, a strategy designed to protect incumbents of whichever party was in power at the time. Lately, though, the GOP’s map-drawing activities have been particularly heavy-handed and ballsy, considering that Democrats far outnumber Republicans on the voter rolls, and that district boundaries are unlikely to favor candidates of color.
But while Democrats and Blacks may find the new map hard to swallow, it’s also just hard to follow, even for us old-time map readers, and especially when it comes to how the Piedmont was carved up. For example, the city of Greensboro will be represented by two different congresspersons, one in the new 6th district, and the other in the 8th. Same thing for Thomasville. Meanwhile, residents of Reidsville will fall into the 5th and 6th districts, and Kernersville will be split between the 5th and 8th districts. And if you live in High Point, good luck figuring out who to vote for because the furniture city will fall into not one, not two, but THREE districts (the 5th, 6th, and 8th).
The new boundaries also combine geographically disparate populations. For example, folks in Davie and Yadkin counties will be thrown into the new 10th district with Burke and Lincoln, putting them near the ski slopes to the west, and close to Charlotte traffic to the south. Meanwhile, some Davidson residents will try and figure out what they have in common with Hoke and Robeson in the 9th. I’m no cartographer, but even I could have drawn up Congressional districts that make more sense than this. Nevertheless, by the time this column is published, it’s possible that the Court will have accepted the GOP map, and if that happens, a lot of folks may need a GPS before they go vote.
February 22, 2022 @ 1:47 am
Gerrymandered Map Should Come Equipped With GPS
The next GOP-proposed map of North Carolina congressional districts
I’m not much for modern technology so I don’t have a GPS in my car. Besides, I’m pretty adept at reading a map, or at least I thought I was until I tried to analyze the most recent congressional district map drawn up and passed by our Republican-controlled General Assembly last Thursday.
Earlier this year, the GOP’s previous attempt at re-districting had been rejected by a three-judge panel, which is now expected to rule on the revised version this week. If accepted by the Court, the new map will include a 14th district allocated to the state as a result of the 2020 Census. Still, even with the addition of a new district, the re-drawn map isn’t likely to change the overall political advantage that Republican candidates have enjoyed for years. Currently, North Carolina’s Congressional delegation includes eight Republicans and five Democrats, but the Associated Press predicts the new configuration is likely to include six, solid red districts, two as “slightly” favoring the GOP, four blue districts, and two as “likely toss-ups.” That means we could possibly end up with ten Republicans and four Democrats representing our state in the halls of Congress.
To be fair, throughout our history, both major political parties have engaged in gerrymandering, a strategy designed to protect incumbents of whichever party was in power at the time. Lately, though, the GOP’s map-drawing activities have been particularly heavy-handed and ballsy, considering that Democrats far outnumber Republicans on the voter rolls, and that district boundaries are unlikely to favor candidates of color.
But while Democrats and Blacks may find the new map hard to swallow, it’s also just hard to follow, even for us old-time map readers, and especially when it comes to how the Piedmont was carved up. For example, the city of Greensboro will be represented by two different congresspersons, one in the new 6th district, and the other in the 8th. Same thing for Thomasville. Meanwhile, residents of Reidsville will fall into the 5th and 6th districts, and Kernersville will be split between the 5th and 8th districts. And if you live in High Point, good luck figuring out who to vote for because the furniture city will fall into not one, not two, but THREE districts (the 5th, 6th, and 8th).
The new boundaries also combine geographically disparate populations. For example, folks in Davie and Yadkin counties will be thrown into the new 10th district with Burke and Lincoln, putting them near the ski slopes to the west, and close to Charlotte traffic to the south. Meanwhile, some Davidson residents will try and figure out what they have in common with Hoke and Robeson in the 9th. I’m no cartographer, but even I could have drawn up Congressional districts that make more sense than this. Nevertheless, by the time this column is published, it’s possible that the Court will have accepted the GOP map, and if that happens, a lot of folks may need a GPS before they go vote.