The Latest NC Gerrymandering Lawsuit Concluded Last Week; Verdict Expected in August

Testimony and closing arguments wrapped up last week in the latest lawsuit challenging the extreme legislative gerrymandering of Congressional and state legislative districts in North Carolina.

The lawsuit on behalf of the North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause, and a group of individual voters was heard by a panel of United States District Court judges in the Middle District of North Carolina. The evidence-presenting and oral arguments by attorneys in the case lasted from June 16 through July 9. 

During that time, dueling witness testimony for the plaintiffs and defendants described two manipulations of district lines. The plaintiffs argued it was race-based, which the US Supreme Court still agrees is unconstitutional. The defense argued it was based on partisan politics, saying these districts would “perform for Republican candidates.” The US Supreme Court now says partisan politics is an allowable matter for state discretion.

Targeting Black Voters

Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, described the challenged maps as designed to divide Black communities in a way that dilutes their voting influence. “When you split, crack, divide those communities, what you’re doing is diluting the African-American vote,” said Phillips. 

In a statement on the case, NAACP North Carolina said, “The facts are clear: legislators targeted predominantly Black voting precincts with surgical precision in drawing the 2023 maps to achieve district lines that diminish Black voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choice. Republican lawmakers imposed these discriminatory districts in a rushed process that denied the opportunity for meaningful engagement by minority representatives and citizens, and showed a disregard for the interests, needs, and desires of Black voters.” 

A decision by the panel of judges in the case is not expected until some time in August.

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