Weekly Recap: The fight over Trump's name on ballot, a new redistricting lawsuit and living outside the district
In the past week, a new redistricting lawsuit was filed and state elections officials kept former President Donald Trump on the North Carolina primary ballot.
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Here’s a look back at the key news from the past week in North Carolina politics…
Trump ballot fight
On Tuesday, the North Carolina State Board of Election voted 4-1 to dismiss an effort aimed at keeping former President Donald Trump off the 2024 primary ballot. The board includes three Democrats and two Republicans.
Unaffiliated voter and business consultant Brian Martin filed a candidacy challenge, arguing Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol disqualified him from office under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Under state law, any registered North Carolina voter can file a candidacy challenge against “a person having filed a notice of candidacy under the appropriate statute for any elective office in this State.”
But presidential primary candidates don’t file their notice of candidacy with the state elections board. Instead, state political parties submit a list of names of candidates, which the state board must then accept. As a result, the NCSBE concluded it lacked the authority to consider the candidacy challenge and added Trump to the March 5, 2024, primary ballot.
In Colorado this past week, the state Supreme Court ruled that Trump couldn’t be listed on the state primary ballot due to the Constitution’s insurrection clause.
North Carolina Republicans are working to ensure no such actions happen in the Tar Heel State.
House Speaker Tim Moore and state Rep. Grey Mills, both of whom are running for Congress, said in a statement that they’re mulling legislation.
“It is necessary for us to explore legislative action to ensure the Democratic majority on the NC State Board of Elections does not have unchecked authority to remove a major political party’s nominee from the ballot,” they wrote. “North Carolina will be a critical state in the upcoming presidential election and removing a leading candidate in this race like President Trump would be an affront to democracy.”
Redistricting Lawsuit No. 3
On Tuesday, North Carolina saw its third redistricting lawsuit. Two voting access groups are suing over all three voting maps lawmakers enacted this year: U.S. House, NC Senate and NC House.
It’s the second challenge to the congressional and state Senate map, but first challenge to the state House map.
Under the voting plans, state lawmakers are in prime position to gain 3 to 4 congressional seats, retain a supermajority in the Senate and have a more GOP-friendly state House map that could let the party keep its supermajority.
The lawsuit from the NAACAP and Common Cause argues that the maps “inequitably reduce the electoral influence of the Black voters of North Carolina in violation of the Voting Rights Act and the United States Constitution.”
Political outsiders
One in four North Carolina congressional candidates can’t vote for themselves in the March 5, 2024, primary, according to an analysis I did of candidate filings and voter registration data.
I looked through the voting records of all 69 congressional candidates. Of those, 17 aspiring officeholders are registered to vote outside the district where they are running.
Unlike state legislative candidate, congressional hopefuls don’t have to live in the district they’re seeking to represent.
Under state law, U.S. House candidates must be at least 25 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years and be a North Carolina resident by the Nov. 5 general election.
Winners and losers of 2023
As we close out 2023, I want to hear from you: Which North Carolina political folks do you think had the best and worst 2023? And why? If you have thoughts, shoot me an email or message on Twitter.
In lieu of a weekly recap on Sunday, I’ll highlight some of the top winners and losers of North Carolina politics this year, with your input strongly considered. I’ll also share some of the top Anderson Alerts from 2023 and updates to some of the most important stories of the year.
What to watch for
I’ll be off this week to celebrate the holidays and enjoy some football (barring any surprises and urgent stories that need my attention). I’ll return to your feed on Sunday, Dec. 31 to ring in the new year with a recap of the year that was in North Carolina politics.
And for the first time in over six years, I’ll be sharing an opinion column. You can expect to see it shortly after 2024 strikes.
While it makes me deeply uncomfortable to share personal stories or express any personal policy opinions, I also have to square that with my firm belief that a reporter’s primary job is to hold individuals and institutions accountable for their actions. This includes television news media.
All too many reporters excel in spite of their working conditions and not because of them. I’ll share how some institutions that publicly espouse values of free speech also actively work to undermine it at the public’s expensive.