The Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly approved new legislative and congressional district maps on Thursday amid Democrats alleging the maps are gerrymandered. After the 2020 U.S. Census, North Carolina gained a 14th congressional district in the western part of the state. Unlike some other states, the maps don’t require Gov. Roy Cooper’s signature, nor can he veto them. According to initial data from the census, over the last decade, North Carolina’s population grew 9.5 percent, which brought the U.S. House delegation up from 13 to 14 representatives. After that data was released, redrawing began for the 14 congressional districts, 50 state Senate districts, and 120 House districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following the census, and the federal government stipulates that each district must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate based on race or ethnicity. According to Dr. Andy Jackson with the John Locke Foundation—an independent research …