(FiveNation.com)- The North Carolina Supreme Court will be hearing a challenge to the state’s congressional map, which could likely weigh in the GOP’s favor in 2024.
During the November elections, Republicans and Democrats spent big on the state’s Supreme Court races, hoping to gain partisan advantage as North Carolina tackles issues like abortion, redistricting, and election laws.
The North Carolina Republicans came out on top in last fall’s elections, and now are reaping the rewards, with the newly-elected conservative majority on the state Supreme Court agreeing earlier this month to revisit the previous court’s decision to invalidate the Republican-led redistricting map, according to Reuters.
Last year, the previous Democrat-majority Court ruled that the Republican-drawn map violated the North Carolina constitutional provision outlawing gerrymandering. The Court then redrew the congressional map dividing the 14 districts evenly, and this was the map used in the November midterm elections last year.
The previous Court’s decision prompted Republican lawmakers in the state to appeal to the US Supreme Court. That case is currently underway.
The congressional map that the previous court struck down would have given the Republicans an edge over the Democrats by as many as 11 seats.
Liberals who spoke with Reuters expressed frustration over the conservative Court’s decision to revisit the case.
Duke University professor Asher Hildebrand called the Court’s decision “raw partisanship,” saying that revisiting the case removes the pretense that this “was about fair-minded judicial review.”
Currently, Republicans hold a slim majority in the US House of Representatives, holding 221 seats to the Democrats’ 211. If the North Carolina Supreme Court reinstates the Republican-drawn congressional map, the GOP would be better positioned to increase their House majority in 2024.
The North Carolina Supreme Court also agreed to revisit the previous Court’s decision to block a law requiring voters to show proof of identification.
