After several months of debate and discussion, N.C.’s state electoral maps have been redrawn for the 2020 elections. Congressional district maps have not been redrawn yet for U.S. House and Senate seats, although lawmakers have stated they will likely redraw them to keep the 2020 primaries on schedule (rather than going to court).
The new state maps will have major effects on five districts in WNC – three districts in the state House and two in the state Senate. Here’s what’s changed for these districts –
N.C. House districts
Three House districts (114, 115, and 116) historically covered the city of Asheville and its immediate suburbs. District 114 is now larger. The new maps could make elections more competitive. Currently, Democrats Susan Fisher, John Ager, and Brian Turner represent these districts.
N.C. Senate districts
Based on the new maps, the 48th district, which currently covers Henderson, Transylvania, and most of Southern Buncombe County, will be shifted to include most of Eastern Buncombe County – i.e. Swannanoa and Black Mountain. Republican Chuck Edwards is the district’s incumbent.
District 49, which now covers the remainder of Buncombe County, will have all of Asheville, as well as the central and western parts of the county. Senator Terry Van Duyn, who is running for Lieutenant Governor in 2020, currently represents this district.
Although the geography of the districts has shifted, neither area is expected to majorly shift across party lines.
Congressional district maps have not been redrawn yet for U.S. House and Senate seats, but WNC districts 10 and 11, represented currently by Patrick McHenry and Mark Meadows, respectively, could both shift. The new maps must be completed and filed by Dec. 15 to be ready for March primary elections, according to the state board of elections. These maps will be more difficult to redraw because each of the 13 total districts must have approximately the same population. No racial data or voting history will be taken into account when the new districts are drawn.
What comes next? If the case goes to court and the plaintiffs fail, the 2016 congressional map will be used in 2020 and redrawn following the completion of the 2020 census. N.C. Republicans said this week that they will start redrawing maps to avoid primary elections being delayed.
“How did we get to this point?” you might ask. Here’s a brief timeline to break down the highlights.
- In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts should not be involved with gerrymandering disputes.
- In September, a state court ruled that the 2016 legislative boundaries were unconstitutionally partisan. State legislators were ordered to redraw the maps and make them more fair + balanced in advance of elections.
- On Oct. 30, three N.C. judges blocked our current congressional map from being used in the November 2020 elections, citing that the group of voters who brought the case are likely to win a pending lawsuit — which has been moving up the courts — because current voting districts were drawn in a partisan way. This block (or injunction as it’s officially called) means that a new congressional map will likely be redrawn for N.C., and voters will be remapped into new districts. This is in addition to the legislative map redistricting that occurred last month.
If the court case proceeds, the 2016 lines will be ruled unconstitutional and will have to be redrawn prior to the 2020 elections. (Note: if this happens, districts will *still* be redrawn following the census.) This means prospective candidates for those district seats may have to re-file their candidacy in a redrawn district. And if the maps aren’t redrawn prior to the March 3 primary elections, voting may be delayed.
Either way, N.C. voters in 2020 will have the chance to send 13 representatives to Congress, one from each district.
