Politics

2022 Election

The 2022 midterm elections are the first of the Biden era. They're also the first since the 2020 census, which means there are new congressional districts. There are U.S. Senate races in the Carolinas as well, along with many state and local races.

NC General Assembly Sets Public Hearings For New Congressional, Legislative Maps

WFAE | By Steve Harrison

Published September 7, 2021 at 11:32 AM EDT

North Carolina will get a 14th congressional seat for the 2022 elections.

North Carolina Senate and House committees are holding 13 public hearings this month for voters to give their thoughts on the upcoming redistricting process based on new population data from the 2020 census.

The biggest change will be to the state’s congressional map. North Carolina is getting a 14th seat in the U.S. House, which means much of the map will have to be redrawn.

The GOP controls the redistricting process, and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper does not have the power to veto the new maps.

But Democratic-leaning groups have said they may sue if they believe the new maps aren’t fair. Over the last decade North Carolina was one of the most bitterly contested states over gerrymandered maps, which Republicans drew after winning legislative majorities in 2010.

The General Assembly was forced to draw new maps in 2019 after the group Common Cause sued in state court.

The new congressional map was more favorable to Democrats. The previous map had given the GOP the advantage in 10 of 13 seats, but Democrats won two more seats with the new maps in 2020.

People gather at a rally to urge an end to gerrymandering outside the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019.

Charlotte Talks

Erin Keever

Many Democrats said the new maps for the state House and Senate were generally fair.

For the upcoming map-making, Republicans have agreed to several guidelines. Among them: They won’t use data on the race and ethnicity of voters, and they won’t use data on the political registration of voters.

The other important guideline is that they will keep counties intact and split them only when necessary.

If that rule is followed, Mecklenburg County would only be divided into two congressional districts. One would be the 12th^h District, currently represented by Democrat Alma Adams, a Democrat. The other would be part of an urban-suburban district. Right now, Mecklenburg County also makes up part of the 9th District, represented by Republican Dan Bishop.