North Carolina Democratic legislators release proposed redistricting maps

Dubbing the maps a “fair and legal” alternative to those proposed by the ruling Republican Party, Democrats in the General Assembly have released their own proposals for redrawing congressional and state senate districts. The plan would keep Asheville in the 11th congressional district, instead of dividing it with the 10th.

The congressional maps, released by Wake County Democrat Sen. Josh Stein, keep Asheville in the 11th district, which under this proposal would encompass roughly the western chunk of the state. The maps proposed by GOP legislators controversially split Asheville between the 11th district and the 10th, mostly comprised of part of the Piedmont.

Democrats and other critics charged that those plans were drafted behind closed doors, without taking public input into consideration. However, Republicans are now hurling the same accusations at Democrats, with Robin Hayes, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party asserting: “Democrats have always drawn maps in secret, with little or no regard to the public’s opinion. … Thankfully, we haven’t made the same mistakes. The process from the Republicans in the General Assembly has been open and honest, and today’s political stunt by a desperate party won’t detract from that process.”

Two state senate maps were also proposed by the Democrats, one released by Buncombe Sen. Martin Nesbitt and another by deputy Democratic leader Sen. Floyd McKissick on behalf of the Legislative Black Caucus. Both maps draw the same lines for Buncombe’s two Senate districts, placing all but the southwestern piece of the county in Nesbitt’s district, and the remainder in that of Republican Sen. Tom Apodaca.