Staff Reports
After serving her district in the House, Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) has announced she won’t be seeking reelection. Why? Well, she’s pointing the finger at the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly for drawing up some “egregiously gerrymandered congressional districts,” which she claims will greatly benefit the Republicans in the 2024 election. Manning is not happy about her seat possibly slipping into the hands of the GOP due to the new maps, and she’s not being shy about it!
Today I am announcing that I won't file for re-election in the egregiously gerrymandered Congressional districts, drawn by the Republican-led NCGA.
Read my full statement here: https://t.co/7Danhf0cpF
— Congresswoman Kathy Manning (@RepKManning) December 7, 2023
The Democrat from North Carolina is not the only one feeling the heat. Oh no! There’s a ton of lawmakers who have thrown in the towel, announced they’re not gonna run again, or they’re looking for a different office to occupy. Manning is slamming the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly, claiming they’ve gone and passed these “flagrantly gerrymandered Congressional districts” that are supposed to switch the balance of power from a 7-7 split to a total GOP takeover with 10-11 seats. Yikes!
Manning’s hometown of Greensboro is one of three districts that have flipped from Democrat to Republican due to the new maps. That’s gotta sting! She’s not holding back in her statement, calling it a “shameful act of leaders who know they can’t win under fair districts.” With the shades she’s throwing, you’d think it was a hip-hop beef, not a political dispute!
But hold on just a minute, Manning ain’t backing down without a fight. She’s got her eye on a lawsuit that’s taking the new map to federal court, claiming it’s disenfranchising minority voters and aiming to bring back some “fair districts.” If this lawsuit manages to shake things up and actually work, Manning says she’ll be back in the game and ready to run for her seat. Talk about a political rollercoaster!
However, if this lawsuit doesn’t save the day, those pesky Republican-drawn maps will be setting the stage for the 2024 elections right through to 2030. A whole decade of possibly not seeing the political landscape Manning was hoping for. So much drama!
With a district being newly added after the 2020 census, North Carolina is one hot spot for all the political back-and-forth. And it’s not just the Democrats feeling the burn. There’s 24 of them out the door, looking for a different gig, and even a few Republicans, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who are also calling it quits or eyeing another office. There’s so much party hopping, it’s starting to look like musical chairs up in there!
In the midst of it all, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was actually given the boot from Congress, and not by just a handful of folks, but a whopping 311 House members, including 105 Republicans, voted to give him the ol’ heave-ho. It’s a political whirlwind out there, folks! Who’s gonna come out on top? Only time will tell!
