North Carolina Congressional Redistricting Challenge (2023)

Lawsuit filed on behalf of Black and Latino voters challenging North Carolina’s newly enacted congressional map, which the Legislature redrew in October 2023. The plaintiffs allege that the congressional map “cracks” and “packs” North Carolina’s minority voters to entrench the state’s white majority and “erase[] the gains made by voters of color in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.” The lawsuit points to the fact that the new map dismantles existing districts across the state where minority voters had an equal opportunity to elect their preferred candidates and underscores North Carolina’s history of racial discrimination in voting and redistricting. The lawsuit specifically challenges the 1st, 6th, 12th and 14th Congressional Districts for being unconstitutional racially gerrymanders in violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The lawsuit contends that in addition to being drawn with race as the predominant factor, the challenged districts are intentionally discriminatory in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments. The plaintiffs ask the court to declare the 2023 congressional plan unconstitutional and to order the adoption of lawful districts. The case is consolidated with North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP v. Berger.

STATUS: Litigation is ongoing in the district court.

Last updated: March 19, 2024 10:47 am EST