The politics of race in the Democrat parties in Beaufort and Pitt | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    The Beaufort Observer has learned that the leadership in the General Assembly will release revised redistricting maps at 1:00 p.m. today. Because nothing is official yet most of the staff and leadership with whom we have talked either refuse to make any comments or they will not speak on the record. But here is what we've been told by previously reliable anonymous sources.

    The 9th House district will be revised to exclude much/all of Beaufort County from that district. Beaufort is most likely going to be put in the 1st Senate district and few changes will be made in the Congressional District map, in spite of the fact that it is reported that Rep. Walter B. Jones is not pleased with the current draft, which reduces the Republican percentage in his 3rd district.

    The "high drama" concerns the House districts.

    We know what you are about to read is not supposed to be said, much less published. But we are not real good at doing what the Big Shots think we're supposed to do. So here goes.

    Under the first map, which included only the minority districts that were initially drawn to meet the Voting Rights Act (VRA) requirements of "no retrogression" in the number of minority-safe districts, a portion of Beaufort County was placed in the predominately minority 9th District which is currently represented by Rep. Edith Warren from Pitt County (Farmville). That configuration would have an arm dipping into Beaufort along U. S. 264 into Washington to include much of wards 1-4. This would put the predominately minority population in the Washington area in a predominately minority district, but with more Pitt voters than Beaufort voters in it.

    So we have high drama within the Democrat party in both Beaufort and Pitt that appears to revolve around a debate about whether race is a more important criteria than partisan politics. Here's how that is explained:

    If the predominately minority areas of Washington and western Beaufort are included in the minority safe district there are those who argue that the minority population in Beaufort would have a greater chance of having a minority representative. But that would probably preclude a white Democrat from being able to be elected in that district. Although currently a minority-safe district, by the numbers, District 9 is represented by Rep. Edith Warren, who is white. Warren, we are told, has always been seen as vulnerable to a strong minority challenger.

    If the original map were used, the indications are that former Beaufort representative Arthur Williams would have to run against Edith Warren because the portion of Beaufort that would be in the 9th district is said to possibly include Mr. Williams. If that is true then Williams would be running against Warren in a Democrat primary.

    The "word on the street" in Pitt is that the white leadership in the Democrat party opposes that. Although none would speak for attribution, we were told that the fear is that Rev. David Moore, or another strong minority candidate from Washington, might run in a Democrat primary and with one minority and two white Democrats running Warren would not likely be elected. So there is strong opposition to the original map in the white Democrat circles in Pitt County.

    Meanwhile, in Beaufort county, those who support Arthur Williams tend to favor him running in a predominately Beaufort district similar to the one that elected him in the past, until he was defeated by less than a 1000 votes by Rep. Bill Cook, a Republican.

    Thus, the rumor is that the white Democrat leadership in Pitt and some in Beaufort have teamed up to try to remove Beaufort from the 9th District.

    We'll know at 1:00 p.m. today whether they are successful.

    We've also been told that the leverage those who want to remove Washington and western Beaufort from the minority-safe district are using is a threat to use the VRA as a way to get that done. That is, if District 9 remains as originally drawn they will oppose it in preclearance. That stance has already been seen in reports by the WDN. Conversely, we are told, if Williams is not pitted against Warren they will not contest the district as a violation of the VRA.

    So to the degree this is true, what we have is a conflict within the Democrat parties in Pitt and Beaufort between whether to sacrifice Beaufort minorities from being in a minority district for a district that is "safer" for a white Democrat.

    This politics of race and party will likely mean that whatever map is announced at 1:00 p.m. today will not be the final map that is ultimately selected. There will be more horse-trading, depending on whether race is more important than powerful leaders in the Democrat party in both Pitt and Beaufort or vice versa.

    Finally, we would leave you with the words of one long-time Democrat: "It ain't over till the Fat Lady sings...or until David Moore weighs in."