The new Republican majorities redistricted with extensive consultation from gerrymandering guru Dr. Thomas Hofeller.
The new districts were first used in the 2012 elections.
Dr. Thomas Hofeller died in August 2018.
He kept his redistricting files on some external hard drives in his home, where his daughter discovered them.
These files became material evidence in Common Cause v. Lewis and other cases.
Other files from the late Dr. Hofeller showed that recent plans to add a citizenship question to the census were developed as a foundation to later draw districts based only on citizen population figures rather than total population.
That would make district boundaries more flexible in redistricting, providing more options for gerrymandering.
In 2015, a suit was filed in federal court over racial gerrymandering of the 2011 state house and senate maps. It succeeded. The legislature had to redraw the maps.
Republicans replaced the racial gerrymander with a partisan one; though, some districts were redrawn by a court-appointed special master.
The new maps were used in the 2018 elections.
In November 2018, a suit was filed in state court over partisan gerrymandering of NC's state house and senate districts.
September 2019 the court ordered the legislature to publicly draw non-partisan maps within the month.
Some district lines were chosen mainly to separate incumbent politicians. The legislature replaced the partisan gerrymander with an incumbent gerrymander.
The case continues as of late 2019. The new maps will be used in the 2020 elections.
In 2013, a lawsuit was filed in federal court over racial gerrymandering of the 2011 Congressional district map. It succeeded.
The legislature redrew the Congressional map in early 2016. Republicans replaced the racial gerrymander with a partisan one.
The new map was used in the 2016 elections.
In 2016, a suit was filed in federal court over partisan gerrymandering of NC's Congressional districts.
The case failed.
In June 2019 the US supreme court ruled that federal courts have no authority over partisan gerrymandering.
In September 2019, a suit was filed in state court over partisan gerrymandering of NC's Congressional districts. It succeeded. The legislature redrew the map in October.
The court did not mandate the transparency controls from the Common Cause v. Lewis redistricting a month before.
Republicans replaced the partisan gerrymander with a mild partisan gerrymander.
The new map will be in effect for the 2020 election cycle. As of late 2019 the case is ongoing.