Supreme Court rules on N.C. re-districting

Washington, D.C. (NBC News) – The issues of race and re-districting in North Carolina were at the center of a Supreme Court challenge Monday.

Justices struck down two Congressional districts, ruling that Republicans who controlled the State Legislature and Governor’s office in 2011 placed too many African Americans in those districts.

The decision upheld the lower court ruling in both cases – District 1 in northeastern North Carolina and District 12 in the southwestern part of the state.

Democrats had hoped that a re-drawing of districts could help them counter political gains in both chambers of the State General Assembly.

Voting rights advocates said the ruling would boost challenges in other states.

Both districts have since been re-drawn, and the state conducted 2016 elections under the new congressional map but a separate challenge is still pending before the high court.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued a statement applauding the court’s decision saying that, “North Carolina voters deserve a level playing field and fair elections, and I’m glad the Supreme Court agrees. The North Carolina Republican Legislature to rig Congressional elections by drawing unconstitutional districts that discriminated against African Americans and that’s wrong.”

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