How new congressional maps in Georgia and North Carolina will impact 2024 election

PBS NewsHour

26 Oct 202306:46

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

00:00

🗺️ 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.

05:01

📋 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

Redistricting refers to the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries, typically following a census to reflect changes in population. In the video, redistricting is a central theme as it discusses how new congressional maps in North Carolina and Georgia could impact the political landscape and election outcomes, with potential implications for both Republicans and Democrats.

💡Voting Rights Act

The Voting Rights Act is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that was signed into law in 1965 to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote. The script mentions the Act in the context of a judge's decision in Georgia, where it was ruled that the state's political maps violated the Act by not adequately representing the increased Black population in Congress.

💡Narrow Majority

A narrow majority refers to a situation where one side holds a small advantage over the other, often by a slim margin. In the video, the term is used to describe the Republican majority in the House, emphasizing the challenge for the new House Speaker to maintain this majority in the face of redistricting and upcoming elections.

💡Political Landscape

The political landscape refers to the overall state of politics in a region or country, including the distribution of power among different parties or groups. The video discusses how redistricting updates in Georgia and North Carolina could complicate the 2024 political landscape, potentially altering the balance of power.

💡Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering is a practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries. The script uses the term to describe how Republicans in North Carolina have drawn maps that are seen as favoring their party, leading to a potential shift in the congressional representation from a 7-7 split to a 10-4 advantage for Republicans.

💡U.S. District Judge

A U.S. District Judge is a judge who presides over one of the United States district courts, which are the general trial courts of the U.S. federal court system. In the context of the video, U.S. District Judge Steve Jones is mentioned for his ruling that Georgia's political maps violated the Voting Rights Act.

💡Special Session

A special session is a legislative session that is called outside of the regular meeting schedule, often to address urgent matters. The video mentions that Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp ordered a special session for the General Assembly to vote on new maps to meet a December 8 deadline set by the court.

💡Congressional Delegation

A congressional delegation refers to the group of elected officials who represent a state in the United States Congress. The script discusses the potential impact of redistricting on Georgia's congressional delegation, where the current composition is nine Republicans and five Democrats, and how this might change due to new maps.

💡Partisanship

Partisanship refers to strong loyalty to a political party, often to the point of disregarding specific issues or the common good. In the video, the term is used to describe the excessive partisanship in the drawing of North Carolina's congressional maps, which the state's Supreme Court initially deemed as gerrymandering but later found no role for courts in policing.

💡Legal Claims

Legal claims are allegations or assertions made in a legal context, typically as part of a lawsuit or legal dispute. The video mentions that there are legal claims being formulated in North Carolina regarding the new maps, with concerns that they may dilute the voting power of Black communities in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

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.