What began as an adjustment involving five N.C. counties on Tuesday turned into a congressional map that jumbles districts across the state and pits four Democrats against other incumbents.
Republican lawmakers had promised a ripple effect when they began redrawing their 2-week-old map.
"That ripple effect turned out to be a tidal wave," said Michael Bitzer, a political scientist at Salisbury's Catawba College.
Among other things, the latest GOP plan would:
-- Move Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Miller of the 13th District into the 4th District represented by U.S. Rep. David Price, also a Democrat.
-- Put Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre of the 7th District into fellow Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell's 8th District.
-- Extend the eastern 1st District into Durham County, not Wake.
-- Dramatically reshape the 2nd, 7th and 6th districts. The 6th District, represented by Republican Rep. Howard Coble, would gain eight new counties while taking much of the footprint of the current 13th District.
The new districts would shape N.C. politics for at least a decade.
Read the complete story at chalotteobserver.com
