Rep. Christy Clark, Sen. Natasha Marcus
Sept. 17. By Dave Yochum. NC Sen. Natasha Marcus and NC Rep. Christy Clark will host a Town Hall style discussion starting at 7 pm Thursday at Cornelius Town Hall. There’s plenty to talk about, with North Carolina once again making national news—rightly or wrongly—for the veto over-ride in Raleigh last week
Both Clark and Marcus said they were disheartened by the “stealth vote” that occurred in the NC House when most of the Democrats were absent on Sept. 11.
Democrats said no vote was scheduled, but the vote was called and House Republicans were able to over-ride the governor’s veto.
Accounts differ to an astonishing degree, but both first-term legislators said relations between the two parties in Raleigh have fractured, perhaps irrevocably.
“Friendly verbal agreements for decades built over years and years…were fried,” Clark said. “They will never be the same.”
The two Democratic legislators replaced NC Sen. Jeff Tarte, a former mayor of Cornelius, and NC Rep. John Bradford, a former town commissioner. Clark lives in Huntersville while Marcus lives in Davidson.
Bradford has announced plans to seek his old seat in the 2020 elections. Tarte, despite an active schedule on Facebook, says he is focusing his attentions on entrepreneurial efforts including a valve business.
Meanwhile, North Carolina’s legislative seats are in the midst of a court-ordered re-districting.
The new districts are mainly crafted around population—they should be closer in number—and compactness, in addition to complying with the Voting Rights Act.
Clark’s district, which includes all of Cornelius, is expected to gain a small amount of territory in Huntersville. District 98 gained a little territory in the Cedarfield area.
But NC Senate District 41 loses the long tail that traveled down the west side of Mecklenburg County to the southern end.
Population data input was drawn from the 2010 Census, said Marcus, who was a member of the committee that redrew the Senate districts.
The Senate maps are expected to be approved by the court, but the House maps will be problematic. Clark said she voted against the House redistricting plan because GOP leadership “did not follow the directives of the court order.”
Marcus, who said she and other Democratic legislators are “committed to non-partisan districting,” was part of a committee of 10 Republicans and five Democrats that redrew Senate maps.
“I could be deposed in a court of law…that my only consideration was what the court said,” Marcus stated, explaining that she did not look at any prior election results to make mapping decisions.
The redistricting must be done this month, or a court-appointed referee will redraw the maps.
Interestingly, the maps will only be good for about a year. The 2020 Census means they will be redone for subsequent elections.
