NC Republicans plan to redraw the state’s congressional map in 2025, aiming to gain another GOP seat before the 2026 midterm elections.
North Carolina’s Republican legislative leaders announced on Monday, plans to vote next week on a new U.S. House district map, aiming to further tilt the balance in their favor ahead of the 2026 midterms. Their strategy follows a nationwide GOP push, inspired by President Donald Trump, to proactively redraw congressional boundaries and counter Democratic gains.
The redistricting effort would build on the 2023 map, which helped Republicans secure 10 of North Carolina’s 14 House seats in the 2024 elections. Under the previous 2022 map, the split was evenly balanced at 7–7.
Currently, only one district—the 1st District, held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis—is viewed as competitive. Davis survived a tight 2024 reelection by under 2 percentage points. However, drawing new lines could create weak spots in other GOP-held districts, exposing incumbent Republicans to electoral risk.
State House Speaker Destin Hall framed the move as a fulfillment of Trump’s call for legislatures to counter Democratic redistricting efforts nationwide.
???? @POTUS’s victory sent a clear message: the voters are with him. NC won’t allow radical Dems like @CAgovernor to redraw districts and undermine the will of the people.
We will stand with the President, defend the GOP majority, and secure an additional Republican congressional…
— Speaker Destin Hall (@ncspeakerhall) October 13, 2025
Senate leader Phil Berger echoed the message, stating that North Carolina won’t let Democratic governors like California’s Gavin Newsom reshape congressional majorities elsewhere. In turn, Newsom responded with sharp criticism, calling Berger “a lap dog Republican” and accusing the GOP of “election rigging” attempts.
Earlier today @NCSpeakerHall and I agreed to return to Raleigh to back up @RealDonaldTrump by redrawing our Congressional map in North Carolina to block blue state Democrats like @CAgovernor who want to take control of Congress from Republicans. #ncpol https://t.co/XLJIhe8vZn
— Senator Phil Berger (@SenatorBerger) October 13, 2025
Democrats Cry Partisan Power Grab
North Carolina’s House Democratic Leader Robert Reives accused his colleagues of “stealing a congressional district to shield themselves from accountability.” With no veto power over redistricting, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has little recourse—though he warned the public that “shameless politicians are abusing their power to take away yours.”
Court Battles Likely to Follow
Any redrawing in North Carolina must contend with existing lawsuits filed by the state NAACP, Common Cause, and others. They allege that current districts dilute Black voting power by splitting or packing minority communities—violations of the Voting Rights Act.
While the trial concluded in July, no final ruling has been entered.
At the federal level, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that it will not overturn maps on the basis of partisan gerrymandering—making many of these fights hinge on state court law and specific constitutional claims.
With Democrats needing to gain just three seats to take back the U.S. House, every additional Republican seat matters.
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“ A substantial majority of Texas voters say drawing legislative districts to favor one political party over another is a problem, according to a new survey by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.
The finding comes less than two months after the Texas Legislature approved a congressional redistricting map designed to flip five Democratic-held Texas congressional seats to Republican control.”