The judge-appointed Special Master, Nathaniel Persily, unveiled the revised NC legislative district maps last Friday after 3 federal judges ruled that the 28 of the districts that were previously deemed unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered as drawn by the GOP-led map makers. The need for #fair maps is key to stopping GOPs plan to hold on to their super-majority power in the NC General Assembly.
RANDLEMAN FACES OPPOSITION
In the new plan for the NC Senate, Wilkes County is in new 45th District which is comprised of all of Wilkes, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties, along with the western half of Surry County. This new district puts Republican Shirley Randleman of Wilkesboro and Deanna Ballard of Blowing Rock into the same district. Both have announced their candidacy and will face off in a primary.
HOUSE DISTRICT SPLITS WILKES
NC House District Shows Wilkes Split into District 94 and 90
In the new plan for the NC House, Wilkes is split, with the 94th district now being the eastern and lower half with the precincts of Boomer, Brushy Mountain, Cricket, Edwards 3, Fairplains, Millers Creek, Moravian Falls, Mulberry, New Castle, North Wilkesboro, Rock Creek 1, Somers, Traphill 2 and Wilkesboro 1,2,and 3. All of Alexander County is included in the 94th as well. This is the district currently held by Republican Jeffrey Elmore of North Wilkesboro.
The House 90th District will be comprised of northern and western Wilkes precincts Antioch, Edwards 1 and 2, Ferguson, Jobs Cabin, Mount Pleasant, Mulberry 1, Reddies River, Rock Creek 2, Traphill 1, Union and Walnut Grove. All of Alleghany and a majority of Surry County will also be in the 90th District. This district is currently held by Republican Sarah Stevens of Mount Airy.
The federal judge panel will meet on January 5th to decide whether to adopt Persily's changes, which is only a few weeks before the candidacy filing period of February 12th with the deadline of February 28th, 2018. The primary election will be held on May 8th, 2018.
THE CENSUS CONNECTION
Electoral district lines are revised every 10 years to reflect shifts in census data. In related news, The US Census Bureau is under attack. Trump is planning to appoint yet another to lead who hates the very organization they're charged with leading. Thomas Brunell, a political science professor at the University of Texas Dallas authored a 2008 book titled 'Competitive Elections are Bad for America' is the current administration's favorite to lead the Census Bureau. Support staff and advertising dollars are expected to be slashed just like were done to the Affordable Care Act sign-up period. For more on this story, read here:
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/21/trump-census-pick-causes-alarm-252571
For more on Special Master Persily's 69-page report with his recommendations, read here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lwJbqB7L3Or3awkxmTfI6xWEdhg_i4L4/view
For a view of the maps (before and after the redrawing), read here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t68sMq32QNjUxiRsfUijjYz_eM6t6J5r/view
RANDLEMAN FACES OPPOSITION
In the new plan for the NC Senate, Wilkes County is in new 45th District which is comprised of all of Wilkes, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties, along with the western half of Surry County. This new district puts Republican Shirley Randleman of Wilkesboro and Deanna Ballard of Blowing Rock into the same district. Both have announced their candidacy and will face off in a primary.
HOUSE DISTRICT SPLITS WILKES
NC House District Shows Wilkes Split into District 94 and 90
In the new plan for the NC House, Wilkes is split, with the 94th district now being the eastern and lower half with the precincts of Boomer, Brushy Mountain, Cricket, Edwards 3, Fairplains, Millers Creek, Moravian Falls, Mulberry, New Castle, North Wilkesboro, Rock Creek 1, Somers, Traphill 2 and Wilkesboro 1,2,and 3. All of Alexander County is included in the 94th as well. This is the district currently held by Republican Jeffrey Elmore of North Wilkesboro.
The House 90th District will be comprised of northern and western Wilkes precincts Antioch, Edwards 1 and 2, Ferguson, Jobs Cabin, Mount Pleasant, Mulberry 1, Reddies River, Rock Creek 2, Traphill 1, Union and Walnut Grove. All of Alleghany and a majority of Surry County will also be in the 90th District. This district is currently held by Republican Sarah Stevens of Mount Airy.
The federal judge panel will meet on January 5th to decide whether to adopt Persily's changes, which is only a few weeks before the candidacy filing period of February 12th with the deadline of February 28th, 2018. The primary election will be held on May 8th, 2018.
THE CENSUS CONNECTION
Electoral district lines are revised every 10 years to reflect shifts in census data. In related news, The US Census Bureau is under attack. Trump is planning to appoint yet another to lead who hates the very organization they're charged with leading. Thomas Brunell, a political science professor at the University of Texas Dallas authored a 2008 book titled 'Competitive Elections are Bad for America' is the current administration's favorite to lead the Census Bureau. Support staff and advertising dollars are expected to be slashed just like were done to the Affordable Care Act sign-up period. For more on this story, read here:
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/21/trump-census-pick-causes-alarm-252571
For more on Special Master Persily's 69-page report with his recommendations, read here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lwJbqB7L3Or3awkxmTfI6xWEdhg_i4L4/view
For a view of the maps (before and after the redrawing), read here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t68sMq32QNjUxiRsfUijjYz_eM6t6J5r/view