Associated Press: Judges let North Carolina GOP redistricting plans stand

Associated Press: Judges let North Carolina GOP redistricting plans stand

“We are confident that the people of North Carolina will ultimately prevail in our fight for fair maps,” Bob Phillips with the state affiliate of Common Cause — one of the lawsuits’ plaintiffs — said after the ruling’s release.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina judicial panel refused Tuesday to throw out redistricting maps drawn by the Republican-controlled General Assembly, rejecting arguments that the lines were illegal because they were politically stacked for the GOP.

The unanimous decision by the three trial judges, which followed a quick trial last week, will be appealed by the advocacy groups and voters — some backed by a national Democratic group — who challenged the new congressional and legislative lines in court.

The state Supreme Court, which will have the final say on the maps, had ordered the trial judges to rule by Tuesday, apparently to discourage further delays in the 2022 election schedule. …

“We are confident that the people of North Carolina will ultimately prevail in our fight for fair maps,” Bob Phillips with the state affiliate of Common Cause — one of the lawsuits’ plaintiffs — said after the ruling’s release.