"We would not be in this situation if the Democrat leadership in the General Assembly did not wait until the week of Thanksgiving to introduce the new maps. It is their procrastination that put us in this situation."
     - Ferrell Blount, State Chairman, North Carolina Republican Party

     "The voters of our state should be disgusted by the blatantly political way these new districts were drawn and voted on in the General Assembly. The only reason we are in this position is because legislative leaders went out of their way, yet again, to craft district lines that are favorable to them and their party. The only way to put a stop to this ridiculous political charade is to take the politics out of it. Pursuant to constitutional processes, we should appoint an independent, non-political commission to draw fair legislative redistricting maps for federal approval. That is the only way we can assure that political games won't be played by the Democrats to hold onto their power by questionable means such as we are seeing now."
     - Jim Snyder, Republican candidate for Lt. Governor