Psychicpanda's 10-3 map inspired this, but I wanted to do something that wouldn't look too ugly (except for two districts) and would keep every incumbent Democrat safe, except perhaps Mel Watt in a primary.
FIRST: Many of my images are cut off. How do I fix this (I suck at technology)?
This is the map.
For my PVI, I used Obama numbers and Democratic numbers, averaging the two, which would make North Carolina an R+2 state, which sounds about right.
1) GK Butterfield (D)
Adds: Part of Nash, Franklin, Granville, and half of Durham.
Loses: Chowan, Perquimans, Camden, half of Beaufort, Craven, and Jones.
PVI: D+15 (old D+12)
This Safe Dem district gets slightly bluer, as many White liberals in Durham need to be added to keep this VAP Black (the city of Durham, except for a few precincts, is relatively integrated) and somewhat compact. It's 50.1% Black by VAP. I don't understand all the laws about Section V, but I don't believe this retrogresses.
2) Renee Ellmers (R)
This district is sufficiently new that it can almost be considered an Open Seat. It stretches from Greensboro and Research Triangle Suburbs to parts of Jacksonville and the Coastal Areas. Only three counties are kept whole, including aggou's home county of Moore.
PVI: R+15 (D+1 old)
Safe R
3) Walter Jones (R)
Loses: Carteret, Onslow, much of Wayne, Wilson, Nash, and Beaufort
Adds: Chowan, Perquimans, Camden, half of Beaufort, Craven, Jones, Duplin, Sampson, Johnson, some of Wake (Garner and some of Raleigh)
PVI: EVEN (R+12 old)
Walter Jones is very susceptible in both a primary and a general here, especially to a McIntyre style conservaDem. Obama won this district by over 2 percent due to the areas of Raleigh I added here. I'd rate this a Toss-Up, but Jones losing a primary would make this an open seat with a conservaDem advantage. I also have no idea how many conservatives would vote third party in a race like this.
NC-4: David Price (D)
Adds: Alamance, Caswell, Person, 1/2 Rockingham, most of Chatham
Loses: 2/3 Durham, much of Wake
PVI: D+3 (D+9 old)
This district gets basically re-set to how it was ten years ago, PVI-wise, as this seat trended rapidly leftward. I also made sure to separate Duke and UNC, just because. The city of Raleigh is split between two districts, as this district contains none of it. This district is Lean Dem, but Price held a swing seat in the 90s, so he should win it.
NC-5: Virginia Foxx (R)
Adds: Some of Catawba, Iredell, Caldwell
Loses: Some of Forsyth, Boone
PVI: R+16 (old R+13)
America's most famous Tea Party grandmother gets even safer and keeps nearly all of her old territory, which was a very effective GOP vote sink as it was.
NC-6: Howard Coble (R)
Adds: Cabarrus, Stanly, Montgomery, some Davidson, Rowan, Mecklenburg
Loses: much of Guilford and Alamance, 1/2 Randolph, all of Moore
PVI: R+15 (old R+15)
If Coble was considering retirement with a tailor made district, this should send him out of Congress once and for all. However, he'll be replaced by another conservative Republican.
NC-7: Mike McIntyre (D)
Adds: Half of Onslow, bit more of Cumberland
Loses: much of Cumberland, some Sampson, Duplin
PVI: R+2.5 (old R+2.5)
McIntyre keeps most of the district the same, but adds military-heavy Onslow County, especially the minority-heavy parts (by which I mean 60% White). He should be fine here, although it'll probably flip when he retires, but that was inevitable.
NC-8: Larry Kissell (D)
Adds: Parts of Union, much of Mecklenburg, some Cumberland, some Hartnett
Loses: some Cumberland, some Union, Montgomery, Stanly, Cabarrus
PVI: D+5 (D+1 old)
Since Kissell doesn't know how to fundraise, I made sure he had more of Charlotte in order to keep him safe. He's not really a conservaDem, or even a moderate, so he should be fine in a primary. This district, at 53.5% Black, should be majority-minority by the end of the decade.
NC-9: Mel Watt (D) (or Sue Myrick, if she's dumb)
Adds: much of Charlotte, some Union
Loses: much of Union, Charlotte Suburbs, Gaston
PVI: D+6 (R+8 old)
If Myrick decides on a suicide run, good for her, but she's pretty old. Undoing Mel Watt's vote sink does wonders for Democrats. At 54.3% White, this could also end the decade majority-minority.
NC-10: Pat McHenry (R)
Adds: Gaston, some Rutherford, Polk, Henderson
Loses: some Catawba, most of Burke, Caldwell, Avery, Mitchell
PVI: R+13 (R+15 old)
I was trying to make McHenry even safer, but I managed to slightly weaken him. It really doesn't matter.
NC-11: Heath Shuler (D)
Adds: Mitchell, Avery, Watauga, most of Caldwell and Burke
Loses: Henderson, Polk, some Rutherford
PVI: R+4 (R+4 old)
Shuler will never be all that safe, but a district that stays the same should be fine for him. This district hugs the border a bit more.
NC-12: OPEN (D)
Adds: much of Forsyth and Guilford
Loses: The Ugliness
PVI: D+6 (D+16 old)
The Greensboro-Winston-Salem area finally gets adequate representation, by a yet to be named Democrat.
NC-13: Brad Miller (D)
Adds: some Franklin, more Wake, some Durham
Loses: much of Granville and Rockingham, all of Caswell and Person, and two ugly arms
PVI: D+3 (D+7 old)
Miller will have to be vigilant here, as it's Lean Dem instead of Safe Dem here. He should be fine, though. Duke is in this district, which explains the arm into Durham.
So there's my map.