New Election Maps Set to Change Centralina’s Congressional Delegation
In late October, the North Carolina General Assembly approved new district maps for the upcoming 2024 election. As required by the North Carolina Constitution, the state legislature draw districts from which representatives and senators are elected, including members of the United States House of Representatives. Following each decennial census, district maps are redrawn in a process known as redistricting. Barring any successful legal challenges, the new district maps will be used in the next election races for North Carolinaâs fourteen congressional districts and the state House and Senate.
Under the 2022 court-ordered congressional district map, the U.S. House delegation for Centralina and its members currently consists of four congressional districts; two Republicans (Rep. Bishop (NC-9) and Rep. McHenry (NC-10)) and two Democrats (Rep. Adams (NC-12) and Rep. Jackson (NC-14)). The new 2024 congressional district map will once again shake up Centralinaâs representation in Congress. Centralina will pick up a seat and be represented by five newly-drawn congressional districts; the 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 14th congressional districts. Based on recent election trends, Centralinaâs House delegation could potentially include 4 Republicans and 1 Democrat.
Four counties and their communities across Centralinaâs nine-county region will either be in different and/or significantly redrawn congressional districts as compared to the 2022 elections. Rowan County is currently represented by Rep. Dan Bishop (R) as a part of the 8th congressional district and will be represented by the winner of the race for the reconstituted 6th congressional district seat in the 2024 election. Currently, it appears that Rep. Kathy Manning (NC-6) will run for re-election, likely facing former Republican Rep. Mark Walker, who has dropped out of the race for governor in order to run for the seat.
Cabarrus County is currently represented by Rep. Dan Bishop (R) and Rep. Alma Adams (D) as part of the 8th and 12th congressional districts, respectively, and will be part of the 6th and 8th congressional districts in the next Congress. Mecklenburg County will make up the entire 12th district and include small portions of the 8th and 14th districts on its east and west county boundaries.
The most drastic change affecting the Centralina region is the new 14th district, which is currently represented by Rep. Jeff Jackson (D). Under the 2022 district maps, North Carolinaâs 14th congressional district covered the southern half of Mecklenburg County and most of neighboring Gaston County. The redrawn map for the 2024 elections created a 14th congressional district that includes small portions of west and north Mecklenburg County, a portion of Polk County and all of Gaston, Cleveland, Burke and Rutherford counties. Rep. Jackson has already announced that he will not seek re-election under this newly drawn map and will instead seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. Rep. Bishop is seeking the Republican nomination for Attorney General.
Candidate filing begins at noon on Dec. 4. The primary will be held on March 5. More information about redistricting and copies of the 2024 election maps from the North Carolina State Board of Elections are available here.
