Republican legislatures flex muscles to keep power in closely divided North Carolina and Wisconsin

In 2020, North Carolina appeared as a closely divided swing state, characterized by a tight race between then-President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, with Trump narrowly securing victory by a little over a percentage point. Concurrently, the Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, comfortably won reelection by a 5-point margin.

Despite this balance, the Republican Party has assumed control in North Carolina, driven by recent legislative gains and assertive actions by GOP lawmakers. They have successfully passed changes to voting procedures, even in the face of Democratic opposition. Furthermore, they are poised to vote this week to curtail the governor’s authority over the administration of the state’s elections, a move facilitated by their legislative supermajorities.

Similar power plays are unfolding in Wisconsin, another battleground state where the Republican legislative majority is taking action. Their agenda includes efforts to remove the state’s nonpartisan elections director and the contemplation of impeaching a recently elected justice on the state Supreme Court. This judicial change tilted the court’s balance toward liberalism, potentially endangering the Republican gerrymandering that has bolstered the party’s influence in the state legislature. It’s worth noting that Wisconsin has consistently elected Democrats to most partisan statewide executive offices.

While gerrymandering is a common political tactic for both parties, the situations in North Carolina and Wisconsin illustrate how Republicans are striving to maintain power irrespective of their level of voter support. These maneuvers could grant the GOP an outsized role in various aspects, from redistricting to the certification of the upcoming presidential election.

The concentration of Democratic voters in specific metropolitan areas in both states, such as Milwaukee and Madison in Wisconsin, and Charlotte and the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina, plays a significant role. Even when legislative districts covering these urban areas are reasonably drawn, they tend to lean heavily Democratic, resulting in a surplus of Democratic votes in those districts and granting an advantage to the GOP in the remaining seats.

In North Carolina, Republicans achieved a near supermajority of legislative seats, even with a balanced congressional delegation last year. This was solidified when a Democratic House member switched parties. In the 2022 election, less than 15% of precincts were competitive statewide, indicating a lack of electoral competitiveness.

Furthermore, the GOP-controlled North Carolina General Assembly attempted to tilt districts even further in their favor, but their plan was invalidated by the Democratic majority on the state Supreme Court as an unlawful gerrymander. However, with Republicans now holding the majority on the court, they are poised to redraw districts more aggressively in their favor, potentially securing their supermajority status for several election cycles.

In addition to redistricting, the legislature is pushing through two election bills influenced in part by lingering beliefs among Republican voters that voter fraud influenced the outcome of the 2020 election. One of these bills would eliminate the state’s three-day grace period for mailed ballots received after Election Day and relax poll-watching regulations, which some fear could lead to voter intimidation.

The other bill, of even greater consequence, seeks to transfer the power to appoint members of the state election board from the governor to the legislature. Proponents argue that having both major parties’ leaders appoint an equal number of board members would promote bipartisanship and consensus in election policies. Critics, however, argue that this could result in gridlock and that disputes might be resolved by the Republican-controlled legislature or the Republican-leaning courts, including in next year’s presidential election.

These legislative actions could also lead to the removal of the state’s respected elections director just months before the presidential election, despite no widespread issues with voting during her tenure.

In Wisconsin, the Legislature has become increasingly confrontational with the state’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, particularly after voters elected a Democratic-backed justice to the state Supreme Court, shifting its majority from conservative to liberal. The Legislature even threatened to impeach the justice before she had the chance to hear a case. Additionally, the Senate voted to remove the nonpartisan election director, sparking legal challenges.

Overall, the political landscape in both North Carolina and Wisconsin showcases how Republicans are employing assertive tactics to secure and expand their influence, emphasizing the critical role of legislative redistricting and electoral administration in their strategies to maintain power.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Power Consolidation

More about Power Consolidation

• North Carolina Republicans seek control over state and local election boards ahead of 2024
• Younger voters will be critical in 2024. Biden and Trump are taking different paths to reach them
• Former North Carolina US Sen. Lauch Faircloth dies at 95
• Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz targeted for possible impeachment
• Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announces nonpartisan redistricting plans