CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Candidate filing in North Carolina will resume Thursday as scheduled now that the state Supreme Court has refused to delay the use of redistricting maps that were endorsed by trial judges.
The justices declined any delay Wednesday night despite a flurry of appeals from Republican lawmakers and from voters and advocacy groups.
The Supreme Court's decision means the primary is still on for May 17.
The elections will use state House and Senate maps that the legislature approved last week and a congressional plan that was redrawn and adopted by a panel of trial judges earlier Wednesday.
The panel of trial judges, which included two Republicans and one Democrat, approved state House and Senate boundaries state lawmakers redrew last week but went with a congressional map of its own crafted with the help of independent redistricting experts it hired known as "special masters."
Gov. Cooper issued the following statement:
Today's decision allows a blatantly unfair and unconstitutional State Senate map that may have been the worst of the bunch. That is bad for North Carolina because it strips voters of their voice and our democracy.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican, also blasted the new maps:
“Today’s ruling is nothing short of egregious. The trial court’s decision to impose a map drawn by anyone other than the legislature is simply unconstitutional and an affront to every North Carolina voter whose representation would be determined by unelected, partisan activists. Let me clear: this court has effectively taken a hammer to our state constitution and the rule of law, and I will appeal this ruling with respect to the congressional map immediately on behalf of the voters."
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