Freshman Democrat will run for North Carolina attorney general after new maps doom reelection

Freshman Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC) will run for attorney general in North Carolina, forgoing a reelection bid in the House after the state approved new congressional maps that will likely hand his district over to Republicans next year.

Jackson announced he would not run for reelection on Thursday, just one day after state lawmakers voted to alter all 14 of the state’s districts, creating 10 districts that favor Republicans, three that favor Democrats, and one that would be considered a toss-up. The first-term lawmaker had said he was considering a run for attorney general but told the Washington Examiner he would wait for the finalized map before making a decision.

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“I’ve officially been drawn out of my congressional district by a small group of politicians,” Jackson said in a statement. “It’s blatant corruption, but I’ve got news for them: I’m running for attorney general, and I’m going to use that job to fight political corruption.”

The new map poses a serious threat to several incumbent Democrats aside from Jackson, including Reps. Kathy Manning in the 6th Congressional District and Wiley Nickel in the 13th District. All three races have moved from “toss-ups” to “likely Republican,” according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Rep. Don Davis in the 1st District is also considered vulnerable as his district has been moved from “leaning Democratic” to “toss-up.”

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However, the altered districts give Republicans a major advantage heading into the 2024 cycle as they seek to hold on to their slim majority in the House.

If Jackson emerges as the Democratic nominee, he’ll face off against Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), who announced earlier this year he would also forgo reelection in the House to vie for the seat historically held by North Carolina Democrats. Bishop’s presence in the race as a prominent House conservative is likely to attract national attention as Republicans seek to flip the statewide office.