NC Republicans’ commitment to ending democracy is unapologetically on display | Opinion

The Republican war on democracy in North Carolina is apparently boundless. Unsatisfied by a 2023 congressional districting map that moved, in an evenly divided state, from a 7-7 delegations to a 10-4 Republican advantage, the GOP-dominated General Assembly seeks to create an electoral structure to deliver 11 Republicans and 3 Democrats. Donald Trump will be well pleased. State Sen. Phil Berger Sr. will avoid Trump’s wrath during the electoral season. North Carolina Republicans can show they are as committed to cheating as Texas Republicans are. The fact that Rep. Don Davis, a Black Democratic congressman, might be dispatched in the process is delicious icing on the cake for Republicans. Enough, it seems, is never enough.

Thanks to state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby and his crew of Republican justices, partisan political gerrymandering — no matter how extreme, no matter how intensely disenfranchising — is perfectly permissible. That’s true even though our state constitution guarantees “free” elections. “Free”, Newby explains, does not mean “fair”. Of course not. Why would it? Rigged elections are still free. Who could disagree with that?

These are, of course, demographically sophisticated exercises in electoral line drawing. But they aren’t different in result than a statute that says every third Democratic ballot must be discarded. I’m guessing Newby would find a cute justification for a law like that as well. After all, fairness, or democracy, or the justices’ oath to administer justice without favoritism to anyone don’t enter the calculus. Republican fealty is all that matters. And they’re happy to admit it.

Nor is outrageous legislative apportionment the whole picture. In statewide races — where there is, by definition, only one district — Berger waits until the results are in and then shuffles responsibilities accordingly. New Democratic officeholders are made to surrender their constitutionally prescribed authorities in favor of any Republican official who can be located. The North Carolina Constitution and Tar Heel voters be damned.

Even still, the antidemocratic crusade doesn’t stop there. As a horrified electorate (and nation) learned in the Justice Allison Riggs case, the North Carolina Republican Supreme Court is willing to use its power to patently, in the bright light of day, steal an election. The legislature and Republican Party apparatus will cheer. The North Carolina Bar Association will cower in silence — violating its members’ own oaths of office. The acceptance of cheating thus becomes habitual. The death of democracy ensues. The frog in the bath expires.

The Berger-Newby Republican axis is now fully out of the closet. Their commitment to ending democracy in the Tar Heel State is unapologetically on display. North Carolina voters have, perhaps, one more electoral cycle to defeat it. But we will be required to prevail by bountiful margins. My strongest political hope is that such margins will be delivered. Only then will the faith of our forebears be secured.

Contributing columnist Gene Nichol is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

This story was originally published October 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.