In a joint statement to legislative leaders, former U.S. Reps. Clayton and Butterfield, who both represented Congressional District 1, powerfully voice their opposition to the newest attempt by GOP politicians to impose a discriminatory gerrymander on Black voters in northeastern NC

RALEIGH, NC – North Carolina Republicans this week are attempting to further gerrymander and dismantle Congressional District 1 in the historic Black Belt region of northeastern North Carolina, severely undermining the voting power of residents there.

Two former members of Congress who represented that district are speaking out against the legislature’s newest discriminatory gerrymandering scheme.

Former Congresswoman Eva Clayton was the first African American woman to represent North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives. When Rep. Clayton won her election to Congressional District 1 in 1992, she became the state’s first Black congressional representative since 1901. She represented District 1 until leaving office in January 2003.

Former Congressman G.K. Butterfield represented Congressional District 1 from 2004 through 2022. Rep. Butterfield also served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and he is a former justice of the NC Supreme Court.

The following is a joint statement from former Congresswoman Eva Clayton and former Congressman G.K. Butterfield: 

“To North Carolina citizens and lawmakers:

For more than 30 years, we collectively represented northeastern North Carolina’s congressional district in a region known as the Black Belt of our state. For decades, it has stood as a beacon of fair representation — a district where Black voters, rural communities, and working families could make their voices heard in Washington, D.C.

From the moment the district was reconstituted in the early 1990s, it has symbolized progress born of sacrifice and the hard work of generations who fought for equal access to the ballot box. We were proud to serve all the people in this district and are now dismayed to see the legislative leadership’s intent to dismantle it for pure partisan advantage.

The proposed congressional map would silence communities that have long been the backbone of northeastern North Carolina, fracturing counties and towns that share common bonds of history, economy, and hope. This is not merely a political act — it is a moral regression. It weakens the representation of Black North Carolinians and undermines the promise of equal voice and fair elections that so many have fought to secure.

Gerrymandering is wrong regardless of who is doing it. The map now proposed by the legislative leadership will take our state’s only toss-up district and make it a solid Republican one – not through fair elections, but instead through political manipulation.  Northeastern North Carolina will be carved up into two districts that produce representation not reflective of the region.

We strongly oppose the map. We are offended by the fact that the people of northeastern North Carolina affected by this change have not been given ample opportunity to provide their input. This is not how our democracy is supposed to work. And certainly, a map that produces an 11-3 advantage for one political party is not representative of what North Carolina is: a highly competitive battleground, “purple” state.

Our state deserves voting maps that reflect the deeply held values of North Carolinians: fairness, equality, and community – not cynical lines drawn by politicians to entrench their power and exclude participation.

We call on our state’s leaders — and all North Carolinians — to reject this manipulation of our democracy. The strength of our state lies in inclusion, not division. The First Congressional District must continue to be a district where every citizen’s voice counts equally.

We ask the legislature to focus on the priorities that matter – such as passing a state budget, as we are just one of four states in America that have failed to do so.  Gerrymandering is not and should never be a priority – regardless of who is doing it.

Overwhelmingly, North Carolina voters across all party lines oppose gerrymandering in all forms. If lawmakers fail to heed the public’s will, it’s time for the attention to be turned back to our appellate courts.

Our districts don’t belong to politicians; our districts belong to the people of North Carolina. And fair maps are the foundation of the people’s right to free elections.”

Bob Phillips, Executive Director of the nonpartisan voting rights group Common Cause North Carolina, applauded former Congresswoman Clayton and former Congressman Butterfield for their statement against the legislature’s harmful gerrymander.

“We thank Representatives Clayton and Butterfield for speaking powerfully on behalf of northeastern North Carolina, a region they represented for decades, and opposing the legislature’s outrageous scheme to further silence the region’s voters,” Phillips said. “The people of northeastern North Carolina deserve a congressional district that reflects their communities and respects their right to have a voice in choosing their representative. What Republican legislative leaders are attempting with their latest discriminatory gerrymander is absolutely shameful and is politics at its worst.”

The NC Senate Elections Committee is meeting to take up the newest gerrymandered map on Monday, Oct. 20, at 10:00 a.m.

Information about how North Carolinians can speak out against the legislature’s discriminatory gerrymander can be found at ccnc.me/cd1.