During the 111th Congress, Democrats held an 8-5 advantage in North Carolina's 13-member congressional delegation. During the 2010 elections, Bob Etheridge in the 2nd district was upset by Islamophobe Renee Ellmers, and several other Democrats in the delegation survived competitive races. However, Republicans gained control of redistricting after those elections, and drew a map which tried to make 10 of the state's 13 seats unwinnable for Democrats.
If Democrats had kept control of the legislature, they could have drawn a safer district for Etheridge, as well as slightly shoring up Heath Shuler and putting Democrat Larry Kissell in a district where his vote against health care reform would have put him in huge danger in a primary. Read on for more.
This map should not run into VRA issues. The 1st is kept majority-black and unlike in the Republicans' map, it doesn't withdraw from any Section 5 counties. The 12th also stays in the Section 5 county of Guilford. It is drawn to grab Democrats but also avoid illegal retrogression--black voters are still dominant in the district and will probably make up a majority of primary voters.
Whole state:
NC-01
Incumbent: G. K. Butterfield (D-Wilson)
Old Vote: Obama 62 McCain 37
New Vote: Obama 66 McCain 33
Average: Dem 69 Rep 31
Description: As roguemapper showed a few months ago, it is just barely possible to keep this district majority-black while not chopping off any Section 5 counties, and this district does so (52% black total, 50.2% VAP). Unfortunately, since the extra people have to come from Durham, this district becomes something of a Dem vote sink. Still, it shouldn't endanger any other Democrats.
NC-02
Incumbent: OPEN
Old Vote: Obama 52 McCain 47
New Vote: Obama 57 McCain 42
Average: Dem 57 Rep 43
Description: This district loses Republican-leaning rural areas and adds more of Fayetteville and Raleigh (while dropping a few parts such as NCSU). Renee Ellmers has seen her home drawn out of this district and probably doesn't want to run in a bluer district since she's a fluke anyway. Former Congressman Bobby Etheridge (D-Lillington) lives here and could try to make a comeback.
NC-03
Incumbent: Walter Jones (R-Farmville)
Old Vote: Obama 38 McCain 61
New Vote: Obama 37 McCain 62
Average: Dem 41 Rep 59
Description: This district doesn't change a lot. It's still a Republican vote sink represented by a guy who lives in a town named after a stupid Facebook application.
NC-04
Incumbent: David Price (D-Chapel Hill)
Old Vote: Obama 63 McCain 36
New Vote: Obama 59 McCain 40
Average: Dem 57 Rep 43
Description: Turncoat David Price (he went to UNC for undergrad and then taught at Duke, the shame!) is safe in this district. It's easily blue enough to support a liberal Democrat. However there's a little territory swap here. Due to NC-01's protrusion into Durham, NC-13 can't really go up to the VA border without grabbing the rest of Durham County (which clearly belongs to NC-04), so NC-04 grabs those areas instead, while NC-13 goes around the south by grabbing part of Chatham County instead.
NC-05
Incumbent: Virginia Foxx (R-Banner Elk)
Old Vote: Obama 38 McCain 61
New Vote: Obama 38 McCain 61
Average: Dem 38 Rep 62
Description: Unlovable grandmother Virginia "Cunning Like a Foxxxxxxx" Foxx's district doesn't change much. She looses light blue Watauga County but gains a little more of Winston-Salem. Oh, and unlike before, she actually lives in her district now. Yay?
NC-06
Incumbent: Renee Ellmers (R-Dunn), Larry Kissell (D-Star)
Old Vote (NC-09): Obama 45 McCain 55
New Vote: Obama 37 McCain 62
Average: Dem 36 Rep 64
Description: Some people like to say, "if you can't beat em, join em." I like to say, "if you can't beat em, make em deathmatch each other in a primary." Ellmers probably wants to run here because she lives here and the new NC-02 is too blue for her. Myrick lives in NC-08 but that and NC-12 are too blue for her so this is the only Charlotte district she can reasonably run in. If the Republicans are going to draw our incumbents together, it's only fair that we stop by Petco and grab some cat fud. (Larry Kissell also lives here but is literally within walking distance to NC-08, where he'll run.)
NC-07
Incumbent: Mike McIntyre (D-Lumberton)
Old Vote: Obama 47 McCain 52
New Vote: Obama 47 McCain 52
Average: Dem 50.5 Rep 49.5
Description: Not much change here. Ultra-blue dog McIntyre should be fine as NC-07 voters have about 10% less tolerance for war criminals than FL-22 voters do.
NC-08
Incumbent: Sue Myrick (R-Charlotte)
Old Vote: Obama 53 McCain 47
New Vote: Obama 60 McCain 39
Average: Dem 58 Rep 42
Description: See the NC-06 writeup for why Myrick won't run here and Kissell will. Anyway, this district gets a lot bluer as it mostly withdraws from Fayetteville, retaining only a small nub, but gets a lot more of Charlotte. In this district Kissell would have had absolutely no excuse to vote against health care reform and indeed might have drawn a more legitimate challenger, since a Democrat would have a tough time losing this solidly D district due to being too liberal. Also, this district is actually minority-majority (49W 30B 14H total, 53W 29B 12H VAP).
NC-09
Incumbent: OPEN
Old Vote (NC-06): Obama 36 McCain 63
New Vote: Obama 33 McCain 66
Average: Dem 35 Rep 65
Description: Revenge of the touch-point contiguity! This district actually uses touch-point contiguity the same place the current NC-06 does. Also, it's shaped kind of like a reverse 7. Anyway, this district is still the reddest in the state. Howard Coble has been drawn into NC-13, but if he's retiring anyway then he doesn't have to worry about a primary challenge.
NC-10
Incumbent: Patrick McHenry (R-Cherryville)
Old Vote: Obama 36 McCain 63
New Vote: Obama 34 McCain 65
Average: Dem 36 Rep 64
Description: Patrick McHenry once said, "Give me McLiberty, or give me McDeath!" Okay, or maybe not. Anyway, his district now stretches down to the GA/TN border, and hopefully he'll get primaried or something.
NC-11
Incumbent: Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville)
Old Vote: Obama 47 McCain 52
New Vote: Obama 50 McCain 49
Average: Dem 50.3 Rep 49.7
Description: Blue Dog King Heath Shuler is pretty entrenched in his current district and doesn't really need much help. Still, it's nice to have 7/13 Obama districts in a state that Obama won.
NC-12
Incumbent: Mel Watt (D-Charlotte)
Old Vote: Obama 70 McCain 29
New Vote: Obama 68 McCain 31
Average: Dem 64 Rep 36
Description: Watt sheds a few Democrats to help NC-04 and NC-13 stay blue in spite of losing Durham. His district preserves black voting power vis-a-vis the white population; it's 42.2W 41.7B 10H total, 46W 41B 9H VAP. Black voters would be a majority or near-majority in the primary and Mel Watt is, of course, safe in both the primary and general.
NC-13
Incumbent: Howard Coble (R-Greensboro), Brad Miller (D-Raleigh)
Old Vote: Obama 59 McCain 40
New Vote: Obama 60 McCain 39
Average: Dem 57 Rep 43
Description: This district contains the entire Raleigh Beltline which I believe has both Miller's home and the apartment where he has lived since his divorce. While the shape changes, it's still a Raleigh-to-Greensboro district where Miller should have few problems.