Gerrymandering in North Carolina. Democrats did it before. Republicans are doing it now. Districts are drawn to allow politicians to pick their voters and consequently it destroys any hope for a representative democracy. The dysfunction of Republicans in the US House of Representatives is a result of political gerrymandering.
In North Carolina, court ordered, special master maps in 2022 produced seven Republican and seven Democratic congressional representatives that accurately represented our state’s political ratio. Republicans have now secretly drawn congressional maps that will likely produce an 11-3 or a 10-4 Republican advantage.
The purpose of political gerrymandering is for politicians to gain and keep power and insure that they will never lose an election. The needs of the people are secondary.
A more balanced approach to drawing political maps must be found. Perhaps an independent redistricting commission is a better solution. Politicians and political parties should not be allowed to draw their own district maps.
Here are photographs of the NC House Redistricting Committee that met on October 23, 2023. In his capacity as Democratic Leader in the House, our own Representative Robert Reives always plays a central role in trying to maintain democracy in North Carolina.
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