North Carolina officially entered the national redistricting debate Thursday, unveiling a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to gain one House seat.
President Donald Trump has spurred GOP-led states to redraw their maps for the 2026 midterm elections to help Republicans maintain or increase their narrow majority in the lower chamber.
Republicans, who have substantial majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, are expected to vote on the map next week, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. Democrat Gov. Josh Stein cannot veto it under a provision in the state constitution.
North Carolina’s congressional map, last redrawn in 2023, already heavily favors the GOP, electing 10 Republicans and four Democrats last year.
If enacted, the state’s 1st Congressional District, represented by Democrat Rep. Don Davis, would include Beaufort, Craven, Carteret, Pamlico, Hyde, and Dare counties. Those counties were previously part of the 3rd District, represented by Republican Rep. Greg Murphy, according to The Hill.
Four counties currently part of the 1st District — Wilson, Wayne, Greene, and Lenoir — would be moved to the 3rd District.
Davis, who lives in Greene County, defeated Republican Laurie Buckhout by 1.7 percentage points (49.5%-47.8%) last year. Legislative data show that 55% of voters in the proposed 1st District backed Trump in 2024, the News & Observer reported.
“Families across eNC are struggling and feel that Washington, D.C., is broken,” Davis wrote Thursday night on X. “I understand these concerns all too well. As we look at new congressional districts, I am considering every option, drawing on my local roots, experience in the military, and commitment to education.”
The new map, if enacted, is likely to face legal challenges, but the pathways for doing so have narrowed in recent years, according to the News & Observer. A 2023 ruling from the state Supreme Court effectively legalized partisan gerrymandering, allowing lawmakers to draw maps in their party’s favor.
The current congressional map is already facing a federal lawsuit for alleged racial gerrymandering. The plaintiffs argue it dilutes the votes of Black residents by “cracking” communities across districts.
A federal judge recently rejected a similar challenge to the state Senate map, finding a lack of “contemporary evidence of intentional discrimination” against Black voters.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case that could weaken a key section of the Voting Rights Act that limits racial gerrymandering.
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