LOD: More on Congressional Map

The NC FreeEnterprise Foundation, a conservative business association, provides another view of the new Congressional districts proposed by Republicans. It says “the maps heavily favor the election of a solid majority Republican contingent to the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina in 2012, if the maps are approved and implemented ‘as is.’” And it provides a before and after chart showing the partisan make-up of the current and new districts. Democrats are at least 48% of the registered voters in 6 of the 13 districts now, but that drops to 4 districts in the new plan and one of them is Rep. Walter Jones’ 3rd District, with many conservative white Democrats. The NC NAACP also criticized the plan for moving five counties covered by the Voting Rights Act out of Rep. G. K. Butterfield’s 1st District, where racially polarized voting is still often found, and replacing them with voters from Wake County, which is not covered by VRA’s preclearance section.