Climate Referendum 2026 C Ettinger

If the voters of North Carolina give the Democrats a 15-point advantage over @MyNCSenate and @NCSenateDems still can't even crack a simple majority, that seems like pretty much the textbook definition of an election map rigged by partisan gerrymandering.

Figures are still shaking out, but last night's approximate partisan statewide lean in North Carolina was about D+15, marking a 20-point shift towards Democrats from 2024. And while they came close, Democrats still only won 24 seats in the NC Senate - a minority. Great illustration of just how deeply gerrymandered the NC Senate map is to protect the Republican majority beyond accountability to the voters.

Independent redistricting reform, of the kind that would eliminate it from North Carolina permanently, will require a state constitutional amendment. That requires supermajority approval by both chambers of the state legislature, before putting it on the ballot. @NCHouseDems now have that supermajority. They will almost certainly pass something next session. However, in the NC Senate, Republicans still hold a 1-seat majority. That means they have the power to block any legislation. Thus, if they choose to, they can continue to block efforts to ban partisan gerrymandering.