North Carolina Forward Party Launches Anti-Gerrymandering Task Force to Develop Fair and Transparent Alternative District Maps

The North Carolina Forward Party (NCFP) publicly announced this week the formation of its Anti-Gerrymandering Task Force, a statewide initiative dedicated to exposing partisan map manipulation by those in power and developing fair, transparent alternatives for North Carolina's congressional and legislative districts.

Led by North Carolina Forward Party Vice Chair Lennie Friedman, the task force brings together citizens, policy experts, data analysts, and reform advocates committed to ensuring that voters choose their representatives—not the other way around.

The effort comes amid ongoing concerns over North Carolina's redistricting process, which has repeatedly produced maps that face criticism for favoring one political party at the expense of fair representation. While gerrymandering has plagued the state for decades, the state’s most recent round of redistricting re-drew the U.S. congressional map in a manner widely viewed as reducing electoral competition and weakening the ability of voters in eastern North Carolina to choose representatives who reflect their communities. Among the districts affected was North Carolina’s First Congressional District, currently represented by Forward-aligned Democratic U.S. Congressman Don Davis, whose district was significantly altered during the recent mid-decade redistricting project.

In response to this other redistricting efforts, the NCFP is taking action.

Announced by Friedman last week on Spectrum News’s Capital Tonight with Tim Boyum—where he highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the redistricting process—the Task Force aims to bring awareness to the egregious practice of gerrymandering and enhance the collective public understanding that there is a better way.

"Our goal is simple: create maps that serve the people of North Carolina rather than political parties," said Friedman. "For too long, district lines have been manipulated to predetermine outcomes and protect political interests. We're committed to demonstrating that a fairer, more representative approach is not only possible, but practical."

The end product of the Task Force initiative is to develop a series of "shadow maps" for North Carolina's U.S. Congressional districts, State Senate districts, and State House districts. Its objectives are to draw maps using objective and publicly understandable criteria, including district compactness, respect for county boundaries, and preservation of communities of interest.

The goal is not to produce maps that favor one party over another. Rather, the project seeks to provide the fairest maps possible by relying on consistent, objective criteria and a transparent methodology to demonstrate how districts can be configured to put voters first while reducing opportunities for partisan manipulation.

Once completed, the alternative maps will be publicly released and compared directly against the maps currently in use, allowing voters to see how different redistricting priorities can produce dramatically different outcomes.

"North Carolinians deserve a redistricting process they can trust," said Patrick Newton, Chair of the North Carolina Forward Party. "The current system often leaves voters feeling like election outcomes are decided before a ballot is ever cast. By producing alternative maps grounded in transparency, fairness, and objective standards, we're giving citizens an opportunity to see what representative government could look like when voters come first."

The initiative is part of the Forward Party's broader commitment to reforms that give voters ‘More Voice and More Choice’ along with greater confidence in democratic institutions. Alongside support for policies such as ranked-choice voting or instant runoff elections, term limits, and districting process reforms, the party views fair maps as an essential foundation for a healthy democracy.

Heading into the second half of 2026, North Carolina Forward Party leaders will embark on a statewide speaking tour to present the task force's findings, showcase the alternative maps, and engage citizens in discussions about representation, accountability, and the future of democracy in North Carolina.

The party hopes the project will serve not only as a critique of the current process, but also as a constructive blueprint for how redistricting can be conducted in a way that is transparent, defensible, and centered on voters rather than political interests.

"We're not interested in drawing maps that advantage one party over another," Friedman added. "We're interested in drawing maps that respect communities, strengthen representation, and restore confidence in the democratic process. North Carolinians deserve districts that reflect the people who live in them—not political calculations made behind closed doors."