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A federal court has ordered North Carolina lawmakers to redraw 28 legislative districts that were deemed unconstitutional and hold new elections by the end of 2017.

The court concluded that lawmakers unconstitutionally relied on race when they drew the districts and that the current legislative districts give Republicans in the state an edge.

The advantage would give Republicans a 74-seat majority in the North Carolina State House and a 35-seat majority in the Senate when the new session begins in January. The court’s ruling is already on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and will be argued Monday.

North Carolina State Republicans are continuing their push for a party recount in Durham County––even though the Board of Elections has dismissed their voter fraud complaint. If a recount isn’t granted in the county, they’ve threatened to call for a statewide recount of the Governor’s race.

State Representative Larry D. Hall, the Democratic leader of the NC House of Representatives, and State Senator Gladys A. Robinson joined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to discuss the battle for political control of the state of North Carolina.

Rep. Hall told Martin that Gov. Pat McCrory is targeting African-Americans and “doesn’t like the results, he doesn’t like the outcome from Durham, but he was rejected all over the state – he’s just seizing on Durham.” 

McCrory’s assault on North Carolina’s election results come against a Republican-led elections board that oversaw the election process. Hall said, “Those were early votes that had already been cast and the number was known – they were just reported late because of the same-day votes we had.”

It would appear as though McCrory’s attempt to recount the vote is falling on deaf ears, Rep. Hall said, “There is nothing new to see here. The vote count was roughly the same as it has been in other presidential elections.”

Hall added, “He’s just trying to hold onto power and in a cynical move, it appears he’s just trying to raise money off of this – he knows he’s lost.”

Martin detailed the most interesting aspect of Gov. McCrory’s fledgling attempt to remain in office is that “he is suing his own board of elections and preventing them from hiring an attorney to defend them in the same lawsuit.”

State Sen. Robinson said, “I think it’s ridiculous … the provisional votes that are being counted are the ones where people were disenfranchised.”

She continued, “When you look at low-income minority people, especially in the east where there was a flood and they refused to extend voter registration for those people – those very votes now are the ones that are adding up for Roy Cooper.” 

Robinson also explained that all of the ill-will towards African-Americans and other people exposes what Republicans have done in the state.

Watch Roland Martin, State Representative Larry D. Hall, State Senator Gladys A. Robinson and the NewsOne Now panel discuss the political battle over North Carolina in the video clip above.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Watch NewsOne Now with Roland Martin, in its new time slot on TV One.

SEE ALSO:

Is North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory Attempting To Steal The Election?