North Carolina Senate approves redistricting map, aiming to secure more Republican seats
By Marisa Sardonia
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RALEIGH, North Carolina (WLOS) — Republicans in the North Carolina Senate have approved a new map that redraws the state’s congressional districts, plainly stating their intent to help Republicans gain another U.S. House seat under President Donald Trump’s push to retain his party’s grip on Congress next year.
The proposed map is now headed to the House, which is expected to give it final General Assembly approval later this week.
The new map aims to shift District 1 from a swing seat to one favoring Republicans. The current 1st District covers a region that has elected African Americans for over 30 years and where some counties have majority Black populations.
The push to retool congressional district boundaries for the ninth-largest state comes amid an emerging nationwide battle between the major parties as they seek advantages in states like Texas and California ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
An Oct. 13 news release from Senate leader Phil Berger, with support from House Speaker Destin Hall, says this move “follows President Donald Trump’s call urging legislatures across the country to take action to nullify Democrat redistricting efforts.”
On Oct. 17, Trump took to Truth Social to express his thoughts on the redistricting proposal in North Carolina. Trump wrote, in part:
“Thank you to North Carolina’s incredible Republican State Legislators, who just introduced a new, fair, and improved, Congressional Map, a situation I am watching, and strongly supporting, very closely[…] This new Map would give the fantastic people of North Carolina the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections, which would be A HUGE VICTORY for our America First Agenda, not just in North Carolina, but across our Nation.”
Shortly after the North Carolina Senate approved the state’s redrawn U.S. House district map on Tuesday, Sen. Phil Berger posted to X, stating that “this new map respects the will of the North Carolina voters.”
Not everyone agrees with the GOP’s plan.
The North Carolina branch of Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization focused on protecting voting rights and fighting gerrymandering, released a statement in response to the proposal. The statement reads, in part:
“It’s an insult to the citizens of our state that lawmakers are prioritizing rigging a congressional map over meeting the needs of the people by passing a budget[…] The plan by Republican legislative leaders to further rig our state’s already extremely gerrymandered voting maps is a slap in the face of the people of North Carolina.”
Various North Carolina Democratic lawmakers, including Governor Josh Stein, have also outwardly opposed this proposal.
“They are failing the voters of North Carolina by deciding for them who their congressional representation will be,” Gov. Stein said, in part, in a video posted to X on Oct. 20. “It’s outrageous. The people should be choosing our representatives.”
State law prevents Democratic Gov. Josh Stein from using his veto stamp on redistricting action. Litigation challenging the map is almost certain, with allegations of harming the voting power of Black residents likely.
Residents were asked last week to submit public comments on the proposal.
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