Contested Districts Include Two In Guilford

Three federal judges have heard arguments about how race was used to make the recently redrawn state legislative districts, and two Triad districts are among those being eyed for a do-over.

The plaintiffs - a group of North Carolina voters - agreed that overall the new maps were better than an earlier set of maps that were thrown out for being racially gerrymandered.

But they argue there are some districts that still haven't been sufficiently changed.

The include Senate District 28, currently held by Democrat Gladys Robinson, and House District 57, held by Pricey Harrison, also a Democrat.

Attorneys for Republican legislative leaders say they didn't use race at all when drawing them, a claim at least two of the judges greeted with some skepticism.

The judges peppered both sides with questions, trying to reach some conclusion on just how minority populations can be used to make the state's political boundaries.

They asked both sides to reach a consensus on a list of three specialists that could be used to redraw the maps in the event that they agree with plaintiffs that they need to be redrawn again.