The Gerrymandering Case Before Wake Superior Court in July Just Got Much More Important

Not unexpectedly, the US Supremes declined today on a 5-4 vote to interfere in partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina. That was the Rucho v. Common Cause suit.

But still hanging out there is Common Cause v. Lewis, the suit alleging excessive partisan gerrymandering of General Assembly seats in Raleigh. That case will go to trial in Wake County Superior Court in July. The plaintiffs are asking for partisan gerrymandering to be ruled unconstitutional under the North Carolina Constitution.

That case will undoubtedly and ultimately land on the doorstep of the North Carolina Supreme Court, and most observers expect a decision in time to either confirm current NC House and Senate seat districts or mandate that they be redistricted without reference to partisan demography (or racial makeup, for that matter).

Gerrymandering ain't a dead letter issue in North Carolina yet.