NC court reverses decision on partisan gerrymandering, allows GOP to draw new maps – JP

The court on Friday also overturned another recent case related to voting, reversing a decision that found a law requiring voters to present a photo ID was racially biased and violated the equal protection clause of the state Constitution. That ruling also came in a 5-2 vote along party lines.

The North Carolina Republican Party hailed both rulings, saying they mark the return of “common sense election integrity protection” following “years of partisan subversion” by Democratic judges.

“The people of North Carolina rejected the blatant activism of the progressive judges by electing a strong majority of conservative justices,” Michael Whatley, chairman of the North Carolina GOP, said in a statement. “These rulings are a big step toward restoring respect for the Constitution and taking politics out of the courtroom.”

Rep. Suzan DelBene, chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, blasted the court’s decision. “Today’s ruling by an extreme Republican majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court is both unprecedented and an outrageous affront to voters who deserve fair, non-gerrymandered maps,” DelBene, D-Wash., said in a statement. “This is nothing more than a partisan power grab and a slap in the face to North Carolinians.”

Among the Tar Heel State Democrats now considered vulnerable are freshmen Reps. Wiley Nickel and Jeff Jackson as well as Rep. Kathy Manning, currently serving her second term, Bitzer said. Freshman Rep. Don Davis, who represents a slice of northeastern North Carolina along the Virginia border, is also potentially at risk.