While Republicans have an outside chance at reclaiming a majority in the House of Representatives next year, the road to 218 seats suddenly became harder.
Court-ordered redistricting in North Carolina, the result of which was unveiled today, has likely shifted two Republican seats into the Democrats’ column.
One of the casualties of today’s announcement is Rep. George Holding (R), whose seat switched from having a partisan lean of R+13 and representing the fringes of the Raleigh metro area to one with a slant of D+19 and representing Raleigh itself.
Per Roll Call:
Holding’s decision comes after he said earlier this week that he would not run in a district that he could not win and that he would not challenge a sitting Republican in a neighboring, and more favorable, district.
Holding said in a statement that “the newly redrawn congressional districts were part of the reason I have decided not to seek reelection. But, in addition, this is also a good time for me to step back and reflect on what I have learned.”
He did leave the door open to running for office again, saying, “I am also hopeful that, if it is part of the Good Lord’s plan, I will someday return to public office.”
Holding, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, is serving his first term and sits on the Budget, Ethics, and Ways and Means committees.
Under the new North Carolina map, Holding’s 2nd District would have backed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president by 24 points in 2016, according to calculations by Daily Kos Elections. (President Donald Trump carried the current version of Holding’s district by 6 points.)
AAN Staff
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