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North Carolina's 12th congressional district
U.S. House district for North Carolina
U.S. House district for North Carolina
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| state | North Carolina |
| district number | 12 |
| image name | |
| image caption | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2025 |
| representative | Alma Adams |
| party | Democratic |
| residence | Charlotte |
| population | 801,527 |
| population year | 2024 |
| median income | $80,180 |
| percent white | 35.9 |
| percent hispanic | 17.6 |
| percent black | 36.5 |
| percent asian | 5.7 |
| percent more than one race | 3.4 |
| percent other race | 1.0 |
| cpvi | D+24 |
| percent more than one race = 3.4
North Carolina's 12th congressional district is a congressional district located mostly in Charlotte as well as surrounding areas in Mecklenburg County represented by Democrat Alma Adams. Prior to the 2016 elections, it was a gerrymandered district located in central North Carolina that comprised portions of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Lexington, Salisbury, Concord, and High Point. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+24, it is the most Democratic district in North Carolina, and it has never been represented by a Republican.
It was one of two minority-majority Congressional districts created in the state in the 1990s. Between 2003 and 2013, there was a small plurality of white Americans in the district according to the 2000 United States census, although African Americans made up a comparable proportion of the voting population. As redrawn for the 2012 elections and under the lines used prior to the 2016 elections, the district had an African-American majority according to the 2010 United States census.
North Carolina had a twelfth seat in the House in the early nineteenth century (1803–1843) and in the mid-twentieth century (1943–1963). Most of the territory in the district's second incarnation is now in the 11th district.
History
The district was re-established after the 1990 United States census, when North Carolina gained a House seat due to an increase in population. It was drawn in 1992 as one of two minority-majority districts, designed to give African-American voters (who comprised 22% of the state's population at the time) the chance to elect a representative of their choice; Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibited the dilution of voting power of minorities by distributing them among districts so that they could never elect candidates of their choice.
In its original configuration, the district had a 64 percent African-American majority in population. The district boundaries, stretching from Gastonia to Durham, were so narrow at some points that it was no wider than a highway lane. It followed Interstate 85 almost exactly. One state legislator famously remarked, after seeing the district map, "if you drove down the interstate with both car doors open, you'd kill most of the people in the district."
The United States Supreme Court ruled in Shaw v. Reno (1993) that a racial gerrymander may, in some circumstances, violate the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution.
The state legislature defended the two minority-majority districts as based on demographics, with the 12th representing people of the interior Piedmont area and the 1st the Coastal Plain. Subsequently, the 12th district was redrawn several times and was adjudicated in the Supreme Court on two additional occasions. The version created after the 2000 census was approved by the U.S. Supreme Court in Hunt v. Cromartie. The district's configuration dating from the 2000 census had a small plurality of whites, and it was changed only slightly after the 2010 census. African Americans make up a large majority of registered voters and Hispanics constitute 7.1% of residents.
On February 5, 2016, U.S. Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory ruled that the district, along with North Carolina's 1st congressional district, must be redrawn from its post-2010 configuration, and that race could not be a mitigating factor in drawing the district. This decision, in the case of Cooper v. Harris, was subsequently upheld 5−3 by the U.S. Supreme Court in an opinion by Justice Elena Kagan on May 22, 2017. In the opinion, Justice Kagan noted that this marked the fifth time the 12th district had appeared before the Supreme Court, following Shaw v. Reno and Hunt v. Cromartie which had both been heard twice before the Court.
In all of its configurations, it has been a Democratic stronghold. Its previous incarnation was dominated by black voters in Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. The redrawn map made the 12th a compact district comprising nearly all of Mecklenburg County, except the southeast quadrant. Due to Charlotte's heavy swing to the Democrats in recent years, the reconfigured 12th is no less Democratic than its predecessor.
On February 23, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court had approved a new map only used for the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections which had changed the 12th district boundaries to include the northern half of Mecklenburg County, including most of Uptown, along with eastern Cabarrus County.
On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly redrew and approved a new congressional map for the 2024 election, and shifting the district to only Mecklenburg county.
Counties and communities
For the 119th and successive Congresses (based on the districts drawn following a 2023 legislative session), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities.
Mecklenburg County (4)
: Charlotte (part; also 8th and 14th), Matthews (part; also 8th), Mint Hill (part; also 8th), Pineville (part; also 14th)
Recent election results from statewide races
| Year | Office | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | President | Obama 70% - 29% | |
| Senate | Hagan 69% - 28% | ||
| Governor | Perdue 58% - 40% | ||
| 2010 | Senate | Marshall 62% - 36% | |
| 2012 | President | Obama 71% - 29% | |
| Governor | Dalton 58% - 40% | ||
| 2014 | Senate | Hagan 69% - 28% | |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 71% - 25% | |
| Senate | Ross 68% - 29% | ||
| Governor | Cooper 71% - 27% | ||
| Lt. Governor | Coleman 67% - 29% | ||
| Secretary of State | Marshall 73% - 27% | ||
| Auditor | Wood 71% - 29% | ||
| Treasurer | Blue III 68% - 32% | ||
| Attorney General | Stein 72% - 28% | ||
| 2020 | President | Biden 74% - 24% | |
| Senate | Cunningham 70% - 26% | ||
| Governor | Cooper 75% - 23% | ||
| Lt. Governor | Lewis Holley 73% - 27% | ||
| Secretary of State | Marshall 75% - 25% | ||
| Auditor | Wood 74% - 26% | ||
| Treasurer | Chatterji 70% - 30% | ||
| Attorney General | Stein 74% - 26% | ||
| 2022 | Senate | Beasley 73% - 25% | |
| 2024 | President | Harris 72% - 26% | |
| Governor | Stein 77% - 18% | ||
| Lt. Governor | Hunt 73% - 24% | ||
| Secretary of State | Marshall 74% - 26% | ||
| Auditor | Holmes 71% - 25% | ||
| Treasurer | Harris 71% - 29% | ||
| Attorney General | Jackson 76% - 24% |
List of members representing the district
| Member | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Residence) | Party | Years | Cong | ||||||
| ress | Electoral history | District location | |||||||
| District established March 4, 1803 | |||||||||
| [[File:Col. Joseph Winston.jpeg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Joseph Winston | |||||||||
| (Surry County) | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1803 – | ||||||
| March 3, 1807 | Elected in 1803. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1804. | |||||||||
| Retired. | 1803–1813 | ||||||||
| Meshack Franklin | |||||||||
| (Scullcamp) | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1807 – | |||||||
| March 3, 1813 | Elected in 1806. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1808. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1810. | |||||||||
| Redistricted to the . | |||||||||
| 1813–1823 | |||||||||
| [[File:Pickensisrael.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Israel Pickens | |||||||||
| (Morgantown) | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1813 – | ||||||
| March 3, 1817 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1813. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1815. | |||||||||
| Retired. | |||||||||
| Felix Walker | |||||||||
| (Waynesville) | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1817 – | ||||||
| March 3, 1823 | Elected in 1817. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1819. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1821. | |||||||||
| Lost re-election. | |||||||||
| Robert B. Vance | |||||||||
| (Nashville) | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1823 – | ||||||
| March 3, 1825 | Elected in 1823. | ||||||||
| Lost re-election. | 1823–1833 | ||||||||
| [[File:SamuelPriceCarson.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Samuel P. Carson | |||||||||
| (Pleasant Garden) | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1825 – | ||||||
| March 3, 1833 | Elected in 1825. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1827. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1829. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1831. | |||||||||
| [[File:JamesGrahamNC.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| James Graham | |||||||||
| (Rutherfordton) | Anti-Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1833 – | ||||||
| March 29, 1836 | Elected in 1833. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1835. | |||||||||
| Seat declared vacant. | 1833–1843 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 29, 1836 – | |||||||
| December 5, 1836 | |||||||||
| [[File:JamesGrahamNC.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| James Graham | |||||||||
| (Rutherfordton) | Anti-Jacksonian | nowrap | December 5, 1836 – | ||||||
| March 3, 1837 | Elected in 1836 to finish his term. | ||||||||
| Also elected in 1837 to the next term. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1839. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1841. | |||||||||
| Redistricted to the and lost re-election. | |||||||||
| Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – | |||||||
| March 3, 1843 | |||||||||
| District dissolved March 4, 1843 | |||||||||
| District re-established January 3, 1943 | |||||||||
| [[File:ZebulonWeaver.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Zebulon Weaver | |||||||||
| (Asheville) | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1943 – | ||||||
| January 3, 1947 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1942. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1944. | |||||||||
| Lost renomination. | |||||||||
| [[File:REDDIN, MONROE M. HONORABLE LCCN2016862787 (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Monroe M. Redden | |||||||||
| (Hendersonville) | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1947 – | ||||||
| January 3, 1953 | Elected in 1946. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1948. | |||||||||
| [[File:George Shuford.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| George A. Shuford | |||||||||
| (Asheville) | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1953 – | ||||||
| January 3, 1959 | Elected in 1952. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1954. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1956. | |||||||||
| Renominated but later withdrew because of ill health. | |||||||||
| [[File:David M. Hall (Congressman 1918-1960) 1959.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| David M. Hall | |||||||||
| (Sylva) | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1959 – | ||||||
| January 29, 1960 | Elected in 1958. | ||||||||
| Died. | |||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 29, 1960 – | |||||||
| June 25, 1960 | |||||||||
| [[File:Roy A. Taylor 93rd Congress 1973.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Roy A. Taylor | |||||||||
| (Black Mountain) | Democratic | nowrap | June 25, 1960 – | ||||||
| January 3, 1963 | Elected to finish Hall's term. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1960. | |||||||||
| Redistricted to the . | |||||||||
| District dissolved January 3, 1963 | |||||||||
| District re-established January 3, 1993 | |||||||||
| [[File:Mel Watt, Official Portrait, 113th Congress.jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Mel Watt | |||||||||
| (Charlotte) | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – | |||||||
| January 6, 2014 | Elected in 1992. | ||||||||
| Re-elected in 1994. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1996. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 1998. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2000. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2002. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2004. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2006. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2008. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2010. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2012. | |||||||||
| Resigned to become director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. | 1993–2003 | ||||||||
| 2003–2013[[File:NC-Congress-12.PNG | center | frameless | 300x300px]] | ||||||
| 2013–2017[[File:North Carolina US Congressional District 12 (since 2013).tif | center | frameless | 300x300px]] | ||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 6, 2014 – | |||||||
| November 4, 2014 | |||||||||
| [[File:Alma Adams official portrait (cropped 2).jpg | 100px]] | ||||||||
| Alma Adams | |||||||||
| (Charlotte) | Democratic | November 4, 2014 – | |||||||
| present | Elected to finish Watt's term. | ||||||||
| Elected to full term in 2014. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2016. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2018. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2020. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2022. | |||||||||
| Re-elected in 2024. | |||||||||
| 2017–2021[[File:North Carolina US Congressional District 12 (since 2017).tif | center | frameless | 300x300px]] | ||||||
| 2021–2023[[File:North Carolina's 12th congressional district (since 2021).png | 300x300px | Static map of 2020-3 congressional district | center | frameless]] | |||||
| 2023–2025 | |||||||||
| [[File:North Carolina's 12th congressional district (2023–2025) (new version).svg | alt=District boundaries from 2023 to 2025 | 300px]] | |||||||
| 2025–present | |||||||||
| [[File:North Carolina's 12th congressional district (since 2025) (new version).svg | 300px]] |
Past election results
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014 special election
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
References
Works cited
References
- "My Congressional District". U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP).
- "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)".
- "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based)".
- [http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/departments/scr/redist/redsum/NCSUM.HTM senate.leg.state.mn.us "North Carolina Redistricting Cases: the 1990s"] {{Webarchive. link. (March 9, 2008 , National Conference of State Legislatures)
- "Electoral Vote Reforms". politicsnj.com.
- "State Profile -- North Carolina". CNN.
- (August 17, 1994). "Thomas right to oppose racial 'homelands'". The Item.
- (May 15, 2013). "12th District's History, Future Will Be Getting More Attention". WFAE.
- (February 8, 2016). "Judges find two N. Carolina congressional districts racially gerrymandered". Reuters.
- Choate, Paul. (5 February 2016). "Federal court invalidates maps of North Carolina's 1st, 12th congressional districts". WGHP FOX8.
- (6 February 2016). "Judges strike down 1st, 12th Districts". The Times-News.
- (May 22, 2017). "Opinion analysis: Court strikes down N.C. districts in racial gerrymandering challenge".
- (May 19, 2017). "Opinion of the Supreme Court".
- Doule, Steve. (February 23, 2022). "Check out new election maps: NC Supreme Court rejects appeals, approves special masters' districts". [[WGHP]].
- [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd119/cd_based/ST37/CD119_NC01.pdf https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd119/cd_based/ST37/CD119_NC12.pdf]
- "What the NC Supreme Court decision means for redistricting in the state and elsewhere".
- Lopez, Ashley. (2023-10-25). "North Carolina lawmakers approve maps creating gains for the GOP in Congress". NPR.
- https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::4f133eac-adb1-4bb4-a7fe-92aa8a5f1ed4
- "Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis".
- "2002 General Election Results US House (12th District)". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- (August 2019). "2004 General Election Results US House (12th District)". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- (April 2019). "2006 General Election Results US House (12th District)". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- "2008 General Election".
- "US House of Representatives district 12".
- "North Carolina General Elections Results 2012".
- "NC SBE Contest Results".
- "11/04/2014 OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE".
- "11/08/2016 OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE".
- "District 12, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement".
- "November 03, 2020 General Election Results by Contest".
- "NC SBE Contest Results".
- "NC SBE Contest Results".
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