North Carolina voters to make decisions in new Congressional districts

RALEIGH, N.C. — As North Carolinians hit the polls, depending on where they live, they could be voting in a more competitive congressional race.

“I think because of the recent reconfigurations of the congressional districts, we will see two districts that were normally Republican, flip to Democratic,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, a political expert a professor at Catawba College.

The two districts most likely to turn blue are the second district and the sixth district. The second district includes Raleigh, where Democrat Deborah Ross is expected to win. The sixth district features Greensboro and Winston-Salem, making Democrat Kathy Manning the favorite.

“The dynamics are if you go into urban areas, those are where Democrats are,” Bitzer said.

Last year, a panel of judges issued an injunction against the state’s previous congressional map saying the districts showed signs of “extreme partisan gerrymandering.”

Because of the new boundaries, Republicans that were once favored to win 10 districts are now only favored to win eight.

Still there are three congressional races political observers shouldn’t sleep on.

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The 11th district in the North Carolina mountains pits Republican Madison Cawthorn against Democrat Moe Davis. The district includes Asheville but even so, President Donald Trump won this area by 17 points in 2016.

The 8th district now fully includes Fayetteville. Incumbent Republican Richard Hudson is facing Patricia Timmons-Goodson. Trump won the district by nine points.

Another race to watch is the 9th district, which has a storied history.

Incumbent Republican Dan Bishop is facing off against Democrat Cynthia Wallace. Trump won this district by 10 points in 2016 but this district was incredibly competitive in 2018 and 2019.

“The dynamics of what the electorate will look like will have a profound impact on those congressional districts,” Bitzer said.

Cox Media Group