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Senate releases proposed redistricting plan one day after House

The North Carolina Senate on Sunday released its proposed redistricting plan, one day after the House released its plan.

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Senate releases redistricting plan 1 day after House
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Senate on Sunday released its proposed redistricting plan, one day after the House released its plan.

Mapmakers were allowed to use election data to achieve political goals but were forbidden from considering voters’ race under criteria approved recently by the House and Senate Redistricting committees overseeing the process.

In their criteria for the new maps, lawmakers stated that mapmakers could make reasonable efforts to keep incumbents from being drawn into a district with another incumbent, commonly known as double-bunking. Mapmakers appeared to stick to that criteria with the following exceptions:

  • Republicans John Alexander and Chad Barefoot are both in Senate 18, which covers northern Wake County and all of Franklin County. Barefoot on Sunday announced he would not seek re-election.
  • Republicans Deanna Ballard and Shirley Randleman will both be running in Senate 45, which covers Wilkes, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties and part of Surry County.
  • Republicans Joyce Krawiec and Dan Barrett will run in Senate 31, which covers part of Forsyth County and all of Davie County.
  • Republican Bill Cook and Democrat Erica Smith-Ingram will both be running in Senate 3, which covers Vance, Warren, Northampton, Bertie, Martin and Beaufort counties.

The maps also created four new districts with no incumbents:

  • Senate 16 will cover western Wake County
  • Senate 33 will cover Rowan and Stanly counties
  • Senate 34 will cover Yadkin and Iredell counties
  • Senate 1 will cover northeast North Carolina, including Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Gates and Hertford counties

The map released Sunday is a first draft. Additional data regarding the maps is expected to be released Monday.

The three-judge panel that found racial gerrymanders in 19 House and nine Senate districts will have to sign off on new maps before they take effect. The panel gave lawmakers a deadline of Sept. 1 to pass new maps. Legislative leaders say they plan to finish work by Aug. 31.

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