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See the
charts we've prepared for you on:
Population growth in the
state's 15 largest cities and counties
Changes in
population in each of the state's House districts
Changes in
population in each of the state's Senate districts
Changes in population in
each of the state's Congressional districts
Suburbs'
soaring population will increase their political clout
at the expense of rural districts and inner city neighborhoods
As
expected, the 2000 census confirms that the state's major
metro areas have soared in population and thus are entitled to
several additional seats in the General Assembly. It's likely
that the suburbs in Wake and Mecklenburg counties particularly
will gain
political clout next year at the expense of inner city and rural
areas, analysts said after the Bureau of the Census released
detailed numbers on North Carolina this week. The official
release of the census numbers allows the redistricting
committees in the House and Senate to begin their work
redrawing legislative and congressional districts.
It also seems apparent that the suburbs' gains will come at the expense of black politicians.
Rep. Mickey Michaux (D-Durham) told the Winston-Salem Journal
that he has looked closely at the census numbers, and that
although majority-black
districts didn't necessarily lose population, they didn't grow
nearly as much as other parts of the state. "I've been looking at
it, and there are a whole lot of people in trouble with
respect to minority districts, with the possibility of some
being squeezed out," Michaux told the Winston-Salem
paper.
Of the 16 House districts that elect black
representatives, all but two -- the suburban Mecklenburg
district represented by Rep. Beverly Earle and the urban
Raleigh district of Rep. Dan Blue, both Democrats -- fell
below the population target of 67,078 residents per state
House district, the Journal said. The Winston-Salem district represented by Rep.
Pete Oldham (D-Forsyth) is 10,411 short of the target, and the
district of Rep. Larry Womble (D-Forsyth), 9,371 short. The
two-member House district represented by Democratic Reps. Mary
McAllister and Marvin Lucas in Cumberland County is 36,385
short of the number for a two-member district, according to
the Journal's analysis.
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