North Carolina Supreme Court Overturns Ruling Prohibiting Gerrymandering

The North Carolina Supreme Court overturned its previous ruling restricting the state legislature from partisan gerrymandering when drawing the state’s congressional lines. 

Details: In February 2022, the liberal-majority court struck down a proposed congressional map, determining the Republican-controlled legislature unfairly constructed the map to benefit Republicans and deemed it to be a violation of the state’s constitution. Later in the year during the midterm elections, North Carolina Republicans flipped two seats in the state supreme court, shifting it to a conservative majority. This new court decided to rehear the case at the behest of Republican lawmakers, ultimately deciding to reverse the ruling.

Key Quotes: In the majority opinion, North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote, “This case is not about partisan politics but rather about realigning the proper roles of the judicial and legislative branches. Today we begin to correct course, returning the judiciary to its designated lane.” In the dissenting opinion, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls stated, “Today, the Court shows that its own will is more powerful than the voices of North Carolina's voters.”

How The Media Covered It: According to the New York Times, the court’s decision to rehear a case it ruled on just over a year ago was a “highly unusual move.” Reuters called it an “extraordinarily rare move.” The Washington Examiner said the court was “prompted to reconsider the previous ruling after last year's midterm elections.”