How new congressional maps in Georgia and North Carolina will impact 2024 election
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the redistricting challenges faced by the new House Speaker Mike Johnson, especially with a narrow Republican majority ahead of the 2024 elections. In Georgia, a judge ruled the state's political maps violated the Voting Rights Act, necessitating a redraw by December 8. This could potentially benefit Democrats by adding a majority-Black district. Conversely, North Carolina's approved congressional maps are expected to shift the balance significantly in favor of Republicans, from a 7-7 split to at least a 10-4 advantage, despite legal challenges and the inability of the Democratic governor to veto redistricting maps.
Takeaways
- 🗺️ North Carolina has approved new congressional maps, which are expected to shift the current 7-7 split between Democrats and Republicans to at least a 10-4 advantage for Republicans.
- 🏛️ A Georgia judge has ruled that the state's political maps violated the Voting Rights Act by not adequately representing the growing Black population, despite a 500,000 increase in their numbers.
- 📅 Georgia has been given a deadline of December 8 to redraw the maps to address the judge's concerns about the lack of equal representation for Black voters.
- 👥 The new maps in Georgia could potentially lead to a Democratic gain in the congressional delegation, which currently stands at nine Republicans and five Democrats.
- 🔄 Before redistricting, Georgia had a 60-Representative to 9-Democrat split in Congress, suggesting a possible reversion to previous political divisions.
- 📉 The North Carolina Supreme Court's previous ruling against partisan gerrymandering was overturned after Republicans flipped the court's majority in the midterms.
- 🏢 The North Carolina legislation's approval of new maps has led to a significant advantage for Republicans, with the potential to guarantee at least 10 congressional seats for 2024.
- 🤔 There are concerns about the dilution of Black voting power in North Carolina, with legal claims being formulated regarding the state senate map.
- 📋 Some Democratic incumbents, like Wiley Nickel, have been negatively affected by the new maps and are considering legal action.
- 📝 The situation in Georgia and North Carolina is likely to continue in the courts, with appeals expected due to the recent history of the Supreme Court upholding the Voting Rights Act.
- 🤝 The discussion involved contributions from Mark Niesse of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Rusty Jacobs of WUNC Public Radio, providing insights into the redistricting updates and their political implications.
Q & A
What is the main issue that the new House Speaker Mike Johnson will face?
-Mike Johnson will face the struggle of maintaining the narrow Republican majority in the upcoming elections, while dealing with the complications arising from redistricting updates in key states like Georgia and North Carolina.
Why did the plaintiffs in Georgia argue for a change in the state's political maps?
-The plaintiffs argued for a change because despite a population increase of about 500,000 among Black Georgians, they lost representation in Congress, which the U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled as a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
What was the judge's decision regarding Georgia's political maps?
-Judge Steve Jones ruled that Georgia's political maps violated the Voting Rights Act, which is meant to protect Black voter representation, and gave the state until December 8 to draw a new map.
What is the potential impact of the redistricting on Georgia's congressional delegation?
-If a new district is created where Black voters make up a majority, it is possible that Democrats could gain a seat among Georgia's congressional delegation, which currently stands at nine Republicans and five Democrats.
What is the situation with North Carolina's redistricting and its expected impact?
-North Carolina's legislation approved new congressional maps that are expected to shift the balance from a 7-7 split between Democrats and Republicans to at least a 10-4 advantage for Republicans.
What happened in North Carolina's state supreme court that allowed for the current redistricting?
-Republicans flipped the state supreme court majority in the previous year's midterms, which led to the court finding that courts should play no role in policing partisan gerrymandering, effectively giving Republican lawmakers free rein to draw the maps.
Are there any Democratic incumbents affected by the new maps in North Carolina?
-Yes, a few Democratic incumbents, including Wiley Nickel from the Raleigh area, are written off the map in the new landscape, prompting potential legal action.
What is the legal basis for the claims being formulated against North Carolina's redistricting?
-The claims are being formulated based on the idea that Black communities are being sliced and diced in a way that dilutes their voting power, which is a violation of the Voting Rights Act Section Two.
Can the Democratic governor of North Carolina veto the redistricting maps?
-No, the governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, cannot veto redistricting maps due to a quirk in the state's legislation that excludes redistricting from the governor's veto power.
What precedent might be set if the redistricting cases make it to the U.S. Supreme Court?
-The U.S. Supreme Court has recently upheld the Voting Rights Act in a case involving redistricting in Alabama, suggesting that there might be a precedent for protecting Black representation, although there is no guarantee they would rule the same way in Georgia's case.
What are the next steps for Georgia following the judge's ruling on the political maps?
-Governor Brian Kemp has ordered a special session to begin on November 29, where the Georgia General Assembly will return to Atlanta to vote on new maps to meet the December 8 deadline.
Outlines
🗺️ Redistricting Challenges in Georgia and North Carolina
The video script discusses the political challenges and redistricting updates in Georgia and North Carolina. In Georgia, a judge ruled that the state's political maps violated the Voting Rights Act, as despite a significant increase in the Black population, their representation in Congress decreased. The state has been given a deadline of December 8 to redraw the maps, which could potentially lead to a gain in congressional seats for Democrats. In North Carolina, the legislature approved new congressional maps, shifting the balance from a 7-7 split to a 10-4 advantage for Republicans. This move is seen as a response to the previous gerrymandering case that was overturned after Republicans gained a majority in the state supreme court. The new maps are expected to face legal challenges, with claims that they dilute the voting power of Black communities.
📋 Legal and Political Implications of Redistricting Decisions
This paragraph delves into the legal and political implications of the redistricting decisions in North Carolina. It highlights that the state's governor lacks the power to veto redistricting maps, a unique aspect of North Carolina's political structure. The discussion also anticipates that the redistricting issue will likely be appealed, referencing a recent U.S. Supreme Court case in Alabama that upheld the Voting Rights Act and the protection of Black representation. The Supreme Court's recent history suggests they may uphold similar protections, although there is no guarantee they would rule the same way in Georgia's case.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Redistricting
💡Voting Rights Act
💡Narrow Majority
💡Political Landscape
💡Gerrymandering
💡U.S. District Judge
💡Special Session
💡Congressional Delegation
💡Partisanship
💡Legal Claims
Highlights
New House Speaker Mike Johnson faces the challenge of maintaining the narrow Republican majority in the upcoming 2024 elections.
North Carolina has approved new congressional maps, while a Georgia judge has rejected the state's maps due to concerns about the Voting Rights Act.
In Georgia, despite a population increase of 500,000 Black Georgians, they lost representation in Congress, leading to a lawsuit and the judge's ruling.
Georgia has been given a December 8 deadline to draw a new congressional map that complies with the Voting Rights Act.
The new map could potentially result in a Democratic gain in Georgia's congressional delegation, currently dominated by Republicans.
North Carolina's new congressional maps are expected to shift the balance from a 7-7 split to at least a 10-4 advantage for Republicans.
The North Carolina Supreme Court previously ruled against the Republican gerrymandering, but the court's composition changed, allowing the maps to be redrawn favoring Republicans.
Democratic incumbents in North Carolina, including Wiley Nickel, are affected by the new maps and may face legal challenges.
Legal claims are being formulated in North Carolina regarding the dilution of Black communities' voting power through the new state senate map.
The North Carolina governor does not have a veto power over redistricting maps, unlike other legislation.
The U.S. Supreme Court has recently upheld the Voting Rights Act in a similar case involving Alabama's redistricting.
There is a possibility that the Georgia redistricting case will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, following the recent trend of upholding the Voting Rights Act.
The redistricting updates in Georgia and North Carolina could significantly impact the 2024 political landscape and election outcomes.
Experts from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WUNC Public Radio provide insights into the legal and political implications of the redistricting decisions.
The redistricting process has been contentious, with accusations of partisan gerrymandering and concerns about equal representation.
The interviews highlight the importance of fair redistricting in ensuring democratic representation and adherence to the Voting Rights Act.
Transcripts
S
THAT LONG.
GEOFF: LISA DESJARDINS, THANK
YOU SO MUCH.
AMNA: NEW HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE
JOHNSON WILL SOON FACE THE SAME
STRUGGLE THAT PLAGUED HIS
PREDECESSOR A NARROW REPUBLICAN
, MAJORITY.
AND HE'S GOT TO PROTECT THAT
MAJORITY IN NEXT YEAR'S
ELECTIONS.
BUT TWO REDISTRICTING UPDATES
COULD COMPLICATE THAT 2024
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE.
NORTH CAROLINA HAS APPROVED NEW
CONGRESSIONAL MAPS WHILE A
GEORGIA JUDGE HAS TOSSED OUT
THAT STATE'S MAPS.
FOR THE DETAILS, I'M JOINED BY:
MARK NIESSE OF THE ATLANTA
JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION AND RUSTY
JACOBS OF WUNC PUBLIC RADIO.
GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.
LET'S START WITH GEORGIA.
TELL US WHY THE PLAINTIFFS IN
THIS LAWSUIT ARGUED THAT IT
NEEDED TO BE CHANGED AND TELL US
ABOUT THE JUDGE'S DECISION.
MARK: WHAT HAPPENED WAS IN
GEORGIA TWO YEARS AGO, GEORGIA'S
POLITICAL MAPS WERE REDRAWN
BECAUSE OF THE SENSES AND EVEN
THOUGH BLACK GEORGIANS GAINED
ABOUT 500,000 PEOPLE IN
POPULATION, THEY LOST
REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS, AND
SO THE U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE,
STEVE JONES, RULED TODAY THAT
THAT VIOLATED THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT WHICH IS MEANT TO PROTECT
BLACK VOTER REPRESENTATION.
AMNA: IN THAT RULING, I WILL
PULL OUT JUST A PIECE OF IT.
THE JUDGE WROTE THAT THE COURT
REITERATES THAT GEORGIA HAS MADE
GREAT STRIDES SINCE 1965 TOWARDS
EQUALITY IN VOTING.
HOWEVER, THE EVIDENCE BEFORE
THIS COURT SHOWS GEORGIA HAS NOT
REACHED THE POINT WHERE THE
POLITICAL PROCESS HAS EQUAL
OPENNESS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
FOR EVERYONE, SO THEY HAVE UNTIL
DECEMBER 8 TO DRAW A NEW MAP, I
UNDERSTAND. WHAT HAPPENS NOW AND
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT IS THE
LIKELY IMPACT FOR DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS?
>> WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS GOVERNOR
BRIAN KEMP ORDERED A SPECIAL
SESSION TO BEGIN NOVEMBER 29 OF
ALL OF THE GEORGIA GENERAL
ASSEMBLY WILL RETURN TO ATLANTA
AND VOTE ON NEW MAPS TO MEET
THAT DECEMBER 8 DEADLINE AND THE
LIKELY IMPACT, IF THERE IS AN
ADDITIONAL DISTRICT WHERE BLACK
VOTERS MAKE UP A MAJORITY,
BECAUSE BLACK VOTERS
OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE FOR
DEMOCRATS, IT IS POSSIBLE AND
PERHAPS LIKELY THAT DEMOCRATS
WOULD GAIN A SEAT AMONG
GEORGIA'S CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION.
CURRENTLY, GEORGIA HAS NINE
REPUBLICANS AND FIVE DEMOCRATS
IN CONGRESS.
BEFORE REDISTRICTING, IT WAS A
REPUBLICANS TO 60 DEMOCRATS SO
WE MIGHT SEE A REVERSION TO THE
PREVIOUS WAY THAT GEORGIA WAS
DIVIDED POLITICALLY.
AMNA: COULD BE A BIG CHANGE IN A
KEY STATE.
LET'S TURN TO NORTH CAROLINA AS
WELL.
THIS WEEK, THE NORTH CAROLINA
LEGISLATION APPROVED NEW
CONGRESSIONAL MAPS.
WHAT CHANGED ON THE MAP AND WHAT
IS THE IMPACT?
RUSTY: THE IMPACT IS PRETTY
CLEAR TO ANYBODY WHO LOOKS AT
THE MAP THAT WAS APPROVED AND
THAT IS YOU ARE GOING TO GO FROM
A 7-7 SPLIT RIGHT NOW BETWEEN
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TO
AT LEAST A 10-4 ADVANTAGE FOR
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS IN NORTH CAROLINA
HAVE MANAGED TO DO THIS YEAR
WHAT THEY TRIED TO DO IN 2021,
DRAWING MAPS AFTER THE 2020
CENSUS NUMBERS CAME IN.
IN 2022, THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY
IN THE STATE SUPREME COURT AT
THE TIME SAID REPUBLICANS WENT
TOO FAR.
THEY DREW MAPS, GERRYMANDERED
THE DISTRICTS WITH EXCESSIVE
PARTISANSHIP.
IT WAS A LANDMARK CASE BUT IT
ONLY LASTED A YEAR UNTIL
REPUBLICANS FLIPPED THE STATE
SUPREME COURT MAJORITY IN LAST
YEAR'S MIDTERMS.
WE VISITED THAT PARTISAN
GERRYMANDERING CASE AND HAVE
FOUND THAT COURTS SHOULD PLAY NO
ROLE IN POLICING PARTISAN
GERRYMANDERING THAT PRETTY MUCH
GAVE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS THE
FREE REIGN THEY NEEDED AND THEY
HAVE MAPS THAT GUARANTEE AT
LEAST 10 CONGRESSIONAL SEATS FOR
2024.
AMNA: THERE'S IS A FEW
DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS WHO ARE
WRITTEN OFF THE MAP IN THIS NEW
LANDSCAPE.
ONE OF THEM IS UNMANNED NAME
WILEY NICKEL FROM THE RALEIGH
AREA.
HE POSTED HIS REACTION TO THIS
ON X USING RATHER, -- IT IS TIME
TO SUE THE BASTARDS.
WHILE THEY AND UP BACK IN COURT?
--WILL THEY END UP BACK IN
COURT?
RUSTY: FOR SURE.
ECHOING WHAT THE U.S. SUPREME
COURT SAID IN THIS ALABAMA CASE
THAT LOOKED AT THE IDEA THAT THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT SECTION TWO IS
ALIVE AND WELL AND MEANT TO
PRESERVE VOTING POWER OF HIGH
CONCENTRATIONS OF BLACK
COMMUNITIES, BLACK VOTERS.
THERE ARE ALREADY CLAIMS THAT AT
LEAST IN A STATE SENATE MAP IN
NORTH CAROLINA, STATE SENATE
DISTRICT, THAT BLACK COMMUNITIES
ARE BEING SLICED AND DICED IN A
WAY THAT DILUTES THEIR VOTING
POWER SO THERE ARE DEFINITELY
LEGAL CLAIMS BEING FORMULATED
RIGHT NOW.
AMNA: THIS IS LIKELY TO BE
HANDED IN THE COURTS EVEN THOUGH
THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, THERE
IS NO VETO ON THIS, RIGHT?
>> CORRECT.
THAT IS A QUIRK OF NORTH
CAROLINA.
ROY COOPER WAS A LEADING
LEGISLATOR AT THE TIME THAT THEY
ENACTED THE GOVERNOR'S VETO BUT
THEY LEFT OUT REDISTRICTING.
MAPS CANNOT BE VETOED.
AMNA: IF THIS IS WHERE THE JUDGE
HAS DECIDED THINGS ARE NOW, HOW
LIKELY IS THIS TO JUST CONTINUE
TO BE APPEALED?
IS THERE ANY PRECEDENT WE HAVE
SEEN IF IT MAKES IT UP TO THE
SUPREME COURT OF HOW THIS MIGHT
GO?
MARK: IT SEEMS LIKELY TO ME THAT
IT WILL BE APPEALED BUT WHAT WE
HAVE SEEN FROM THE U.S. SUPREME
COURT CASE THAT RUSTY JUST
REFERENCED INVOLVING
REDISTRICTING IN ALABAMA, THE
SUPREME COURT LET ALABAMA'S
REDISTRICTING EXTEND AND IN FACT
REJECTED APPEALS FROM ALABAMA TO
TRY TO NOT COMPLY WITH COURT
ORDERS THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED
ALABAMA'S MAPS SO THE SUPREME
COURT HAS RECENTLY UPHELD THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THEIR WORLD -- THERE WILL
CERTAINLY BE APPEALS.
IT ISN'T ANY GUARANTEE THAT THEY
WOULD RULE THE SAME WAY IN
GEORGE'S CASE BUT IT IS
CERTAINLY POSSIBLE.
THAT IS THE RECENT HISTORY OF
THE SUPREME COURT, THAT THEY
HAVE UPHELD THE PROTECTIONS OF
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT THAT ARE
MEANT TO ENSURE BLACK
REPRESENTATION.
AMNA: TWO KEY STATES.
THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH FOR
JOINING US TODAY.
THAT IS MARK OF THE ATLANTA
JOURNAL CONSTITUTION AND RUSTY
JACOBS.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
Weitere ähnliche Videos ansehen
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)