North Carolina Republicans passed a new congressional map Wednesday that will likely give the GOP one more red-leaning seat in next year’s midterms, the latest in a string of White House-backed redistricting efforts.
The redraw creates the seventh new red-leaning seat nationwide since 2024, following similar efforts in Texas and Missouri. Other states are also facing increased pressure to redraw.
The new map primarily affects Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.). President Donald Trump narrowly carried his district in 2024, and the new district would have voted for Trump by roughly 11 percentage points.
A spokesperson for Davis told Spectrum News that he plans to run for reelection either in his current district or the also-redrawn 3rd District.
In a statement, Davis said the map “is beyond the pale.”
“Since the start of this new term, my office has received 46,616 messages from constituents of different political parties, including those unaffiliated, expressing a range of opinions, views, and requests,” Davis said. “Not a single one of them included a request for a new congressional map redrawing eastern North Carolina.”
Even before this redraw, North Carolina had one of the most GOP-friendly gerrymanders in the nation, with the current delegation split between 10 Republicans and four Democrats despite the battleground nature of statewide elections. Davis represents the only true swing district on the map.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has no power to veto the maps — due in part to a deal brokered by state Democrats in the 1990s that exempted redistricting from the governor’s powers.
Still, the map will likely face legal challenges, similar to efforts in Texas and Missouri.
Republicans have painted their redistricting efforts as a response to heavily gerrymandered blue states like Illinois and Maryland — and they’ve also pinned the blame on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort in California — while not mentioning Texas, the first volley in this year’s redistricting war.
“North Carolina Republicans will not sit quietly and watch Democrats continue to ignore the will of the people in an attempt to force their liberal agenda on our citizens,” state Senate leader Phil Berger said on X on Tuesday after the Senate passed the redraw. “This new map respects the will of the North Carolina voters who sent President Trump to the White House three times.”
North Carolina has seen a significant amount of fighting over its congressional map. This will be the fourth consecutive election held under a different congressional map.
“We’re ground zero for gerrymandering, unfortunately,” said Democratic state Sen. Natalie Murdock.
