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NC Republicans plan to redraw congressional maps.
Heeding President Trump’s call to secure more Republican seats across the nation, NC Republican legislative leaders announced plans Monday to introduce and vote on a redrawn congressional map next week, with the intention of shifting a U.S. House district seat from the Democrats to the Republicans.
“President Trump earned a clear mandate from the voters of North Carolina and the rest of the country, and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican congressional seat,” says House Speaker Destin Hall (R) of Caldwell.
The current congressional map—drawn and passed in 2023—gave Republicans a significant majority in 10 out of 14 districts (with a chance at an 11th) and is facing gerrymandering allegations. Beforehand, the NC congressional delegation sat perfectly even, with seven Democrats and seven Republicans.
Only the first congressional district—currently held by Rep. Don Davis (D), who won by less than two points in 2024—is a true swing district. New maps are expected to target this district.
Providing more insight into the party’s motives, Republican state reps. Brenden Jones and Hugh Blackwell stated updated maps are necessary to thwart “California and the radical left” from “handpicking” who runs Congress. Senate Leader Phil Berger concurred, saying NC Republicans are “doing everything we can to protect President Trump’s agenda, which means safeguarding Republican control of Congress.”
This reach for control stems nationwide. Initially ignited with Texas redrawing to add five Republican seats earlier this year, The White House also pushed Missouri to shift its map and are working a similar effort in Indiana and Kansas.
NC Dems responded immediately. House Minority Leader Robert Reives of Chatham said Republicans are dodging accountability. “The party’s politicians are more focused on consolidating power than on lowering costs or funding the state’s Medicaid program,” he wrote in a statement.
Gov. Josh Stein wasn’t on board either: “The General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump,” he wrote in a statement—but under the NC Constitution, governors don’t have veto power over congressional maps. (Fun fact: The Governor didn’t have veto power at all until 1996.) Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal judges cannot overturn electoral maps on the basis of partisan gerrymandering.
Stay tuned for updates as NC lawmakers introduce the new map.
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