According to the state’s redistricting plan, Macon County will be in a newly created 14th Congressional District for electing representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The N.C. General Assembly is required to redraw the districts following each decennial census due to population changes to maintain equal representation.
The congressional redistricting bill passed a third reading in the Senate on Nov. 2 with a narrow vote of 27-22. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Nov. 4 with a vote of 65-49. Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) and Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) both voted in favor.
The current 11th District includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon, Swain, Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Henderson, Buncombe, Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, Avery, McDowell and Polk counties, and part of Rutherford County.
The new 14th District will include Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon, Swain, Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Henderson, Mitchell and Avery counties, and most of Watauga County.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn announced last week he would not run for re-election in the 14th District but would instead run in the 13th District which will now include Burke, Cleveland, Gaston, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, and a portion of Mecklenburg County.
“This move is not an abandonment,” Cawthorn said. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It is a move to take more ground for constitutional conservatism. In my heart, I represent North Carolina as a whole, not some arbitrary line that some politician drew this cycle. This was not an easy decision.”
Since Cawthorn’s announcement, Corbin said his phone has been ringing consistently with people calling to encourage him to run for the 14th District seat. “Do I want to go to Washington?” he asked.
“I’m giving it serious consideration.” He has been in touch with U.S. Reps. Gregory Murphy and Dan Bishop, who he served with in the state General Assembly, to get their input on what it’s like serving in Washington. Corbin said he likes his spot in the state senate and what he can achieve for Western North Carolina.
He said he would announce his decision before filing opens on Dec. 6.
Corbin’s Senate District 50 will be reshaped as part of the redistricting. The current district includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon, Swain, Jackson and Haywood counties. With the new plan, the district will include Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon, Swain, Jackson, Transylvania counties and part of Haywood County.
“I’m OK with it. I’m not very happy with losing part of Haywood County,” Corbin said.
The senator spoke with constituents at an event over the weekend in Haywood County. “I told them I am going to continue to represent all of Haywood County,” he said. “I’m not going to pay attention to an arbitrary line drawn through the county.”
Corbin said if one of the Haywood County towns calls him, he will still do what he can to represent them and will work with the senator representing the other part of the county.
“I don’t know how you can represent part of a county,” he said. “It’s not ideal to have the counties split, but we’ll make it work.”
With Transylvania County part of his new district, Corbin said he knows a good number of people there and is already getting invites to events.
Geography will be a challenge with the new addition. “There’s no good way to get to Brevard from Franklin,” he said. In his current district he can reach most areas within an hour’s drive. He said folks in Raleigh looking at a map may not think the distance is very far, but it is. “It’s over a very tall and rugged mountain range.”
Corbin’s district includes the areas served by N.C. House Reps. Gillespie, Mark Pless (R-Haywood) and Mike Clampitt (R-Swain). Gillespie represents House District 120, which will remain the same with Macon, Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties. Pless’s 118th District (Haywood and Madison) and Clampitt’s 119th District (Jackson, Swain and Transylvania) were reconfigured and the counties are no longer divided over district lines.
Overall, Corbin thinks the changes in Western North Carolina are “extremely positive.” “We’re happy with the maps and will adhere to them,” he said.
He noted there is a lawsuit claiming gerrymandering, which is not unusual after redistricting. Corbin was not involved in the redistricting process and said the only time he saw the maps was when they came to the floor for a vote. “They look less gerrymandered than some of the past maps,” he said. He thinks the redistricting committee made a good faith effort to adhere to the law and to try to keep counties and cities whole rather than splitting them across districts.
The new districts will be enacted with the 2022 election cycle. The filing period for the 2022 elections is Dec. 6-17. The primary will be held on March 8 with Election Day on Nov. 8.
To see more information on redistricting, visit northcarolina.redistrictingandyou.org.