The North Carolina Senate approved a new congressional map aimed at helping Republicans eke out an additional GOP seat to help shore up the party’s majority in the US House after next year’s midterm elections.
The vote came one day after Republican lawmakers who control North Carolina’s legislature formally opened debate on the map. It targets a House district currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis – one of three Black members of Congress from the state. The new district lines aim to give Republicans the advantage for 11 out of 14 US House seats from North Carolina.
The GOP currently controls 10 seats under the map used in last year’s elections.
The map next moves to the North Carolina House, which is expected to give it final approval this week. State law does not give Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, veto power over redistricting legislation – although litigation over the map is likely.
North Carolina is the latest GOP-controlled state to accede to President Donald Trump’s demands to take up drawing new district lines to prevent Democrats from flipping the US House. Off-year elections generally favor the party out of power in the White House, and Democrats need to gain just three more seats to gain control of the chamber.
A Democratic-controlled House could thwart Trump’s agenda and launch investigations during the final two years of his presidency into his actions and those of his administration.
Battles over congressional districts are underway around the country – after Trump kick-started the fight by pushing Republicans in Texas to craft new maps to help the party pick up five more seats. Democrats in California, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, have responded with their own redistricting push that asks voters next month to replace the state’s current congressional maps with new ones that aim to net the party five US House seats.
During the debate this week, North Carolina Republicans made clear their political goals.
If Democrats take back the House, they will “torpedo President Trump’s agenda,” said state Sen. Ralph Hise, the Republican helping oversee the map legislation.
“North Carolina is fighting fire with fire,” he added in a statement. “If Gavin Newsom and his Democrat cronies want to try and take control of Congress to force their liberal agenda on the American people, then we’re going to respond in kind.”
Democrats, meanwhile, accused GOP lawmakers of bowing to Trump’s demands without regard for the state’s voters.
“What is happening today … is a response from a president who has demanded fealty from members of his party who control legislatures across this country,” Democratic state Sen. Julie Mayfield said during the floor debate on Tuesday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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