The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the state of North Carolina next term over racial gerrymandering challenges to the 1st and 12th congressional districts in North Carolina.

The state had appealed a lower court ruling that found those two districts were illegally packed with black voters, thereby diluting their influence in the rest of the state.

Democrats G.K. Butterfield and Alma Adams, both African-Americans, represent the 1st and 12th districts, respectively.

The three-judge panel ordered North Carolina to redraw its congressional map, and the General Assembly approved a new map in February and pushed its House primaries back from March 15 to June 7. 

The new map altered Adams’ 12th District, and the two-term congresswoman moved from Greensboro to Charlotte to run for the new redrawn district. She won her primary earlier this month.

Also under the new map, 2nd District Rep. Renee Ellmers became the first Republican incumbent to lose this election cycle after she was pitted against fellow GOP Rep. George Holding in her redrawn district. Rep. Robert Pittenger came perilously close to losing his seat in a heavily redrawn 9th District. But he won a recount last week. 

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