news
New electoral maps approved BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR he North Carolina General Assembly passed new House, Senate and congressional maps last week, but if the lawsuits — some existing, some perhaps forthcoming — can’t stop them, Western North Carolina’s voters will be on the receiving end of something old, something new, something borrowed and nothing blue. As indicated in maps proposed by the NCGA late last month, the old House district of Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Franklin) didn’t change a bit. Comprised of Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Macon Counties, District 120 occupies the far western tip of North Carolina and voted more than 74% for then-President Donald Trump in 2020. The two House districts east of that, however, will experience a fair bit of change. Represented by Swain County Republican Mike Clampitt, District 119 used to consist of Jackson and Swain counties, along with a portion of Haywood County. Now, the district includes Jackson and Swain, along with all of Transylvania County. Gone is that portion of Haywood, which was given to Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood), but Clampitt’s new district still went almost 57 percent for Trump in 2020. Pless’ 118th District had Madison and Yancey counties, along with outlying areas of Haywood County, but now that he’s responsible for all of Haywood, he no longer counts Yancey as one of his counties. His district remains deeply red, giving Trump more than 63% of the vote in 2020. Opinion remains divided on whether a split county is an advantage or disadvantage
NC 11th Congressional District (Madison Cawthorn, R-Henderson) OLD NC-11 • Counties: Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford (partial), Swain, Transylvania, Yancey • Population: 782,217 • Trump 2020 vote: 56.1% NEW NC-14 • Counties: Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga (partial), Yancey • Population: 745,670 • Trump 2020 vote: 53.8%
in the General Assembly, but whichever way one leans on the subject, the argument can continue — although the split in the House
districts is gone, now there’s one in the Senate. The 50th Senate District, represented by
Smoky Mountain News
November 10-16, 2021
T
Franklin Republican Kevin Corbin, used to perfectly overlay the three westernmost House districts, but in a surprise move two towns and 11 precincts in eastern Haywood County were placed in the 47th District. That includes both Fines Creek precincts, White Oak, Iron Duff, Crabtree, North and South Clyde all six of the Bethel precincts, the Town of Clyde, the Town of Canton and 12,000 voters who went more than 71 percent for Trump in 2020. Sen. Corbin and Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers both opposed the change on various grounds, but by the time it was proposed there was little that could be done about it. Now, those areas peeled away from Corbin will be represented by Republican Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell). Smathers and Corbin both said that they’d work with Hise to ensure that effective representation in that part of Haywood County continues. Pless, who’s worked with Hise before in McDowell and Yancey counties, spoke highly of Hise. Like Clampitt, Gillespie and Pless, both Corbin (65%) and Hise (64%) remain in safe Republican districts — just like Henderson County Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn. In one of the most closely watched redraws this year, North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District not only got a new shape, it got a new name — the brand-new 14th Congressional District. “The North Carolina legislature went to great lengths to study these maps and draw the districts,” Cawthorn told The Smoky Mountain News. “Ultimately, everyone will have their own opinions about the fairness of them, but these are the cards we’ve been dealt. North Carolina is growing and changing — it’s now up to the voters to select their representation based on the maps drawn.” Substantively, the district isn’t that much
6
House District 118 (Mark Pless, R-Haywood)
House District 119 (Mike Clampitt, R-Swain)
• Counties: Haywood, Madison • Population: 83,282 • Trump 2020 vote: 63.1%
• Counties: Jackson, Swain, Transylvania • Population: 90,212 • Trump 2020 vote: 56.6%
Source: northcarolina.redistricitingandyou.org
Source: northcarolina.redistricitingandyou.org
