Political data released by state lawmakers Monday shows voting patterns in proposed N.C. General Assembly districts. Most of the proposed districts lean Republican, similar to the current makeup of the General Assembly, where Republicans hold supermajorities in both the state House and Senate. Lawmakers drew new districts after courts ruled that the current maps, drawn in 2011, are unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. President Donald Trump would have won 33 of the 50 proposed Senate districts and 76 of the 120 proposed House districts. Statewide last year, Republican nominee Trump won 49.9 percent of the vote to 46.1 percent for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, would have won 18 of the 50 Senate districts and 47 of the 120 House districts. Cooper narrowly unseated Republican Pat McCrory last year, 49 percent to 48.9 percent statewide.
Many of the districts will likely be uncompetitive in next year’s elections. That’s not a change from recent history; in 2016 nearly half of all General Assembly races were uncontested, which activists have blamed on gerrymandering.
The numbers released Monday show that just 10 of the 50 Senate districts will likely be competitive next year – those are the only districts in which either Trump or Clinton would have won by single digits. Seven of the competitive districts lean Republican and the other three lean Democratic. On the other hand, a handful of districts would have seen presidential results as lopsided as a 70-30 split.
Full Article: NC redistricting: New district maps will favor Republicans | News & Observer.