Eva M. Clayton: “In fact, the issue seldom comes up. The issue is an issue when the news media brings it up or it is an issue in court.…”

“In fact, the issue seldom comes up. The issue is an issue when the news media brings it up or it is an issue in court. But, by and large, the constituents want to know that you care about them. By and large, constituents want to think that you are fair. By and large, constituents want to think that you have their interests at heart. So it is not an issue whether my district is a large district or my district is beautifully shaped. Those who are in my district, most of them are very pleased to be in my district. However, it is a large district. I will share with you, I will be the first one to say that I have a very large district. The reality is that I live in a rural area. The reality is also my predecessor before me had a large district. It had nothing to do about trying to respond to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It is just the sparsity of the population, that if you are going to have a one man-one vote equal representation, in order to have the same number of people in my district as you would in a district around Raleigh and Durham, you had to have a lot of counties.”