Another State Joins the Fray Over Congressional Maps

Add another state to the list of those retooling their political maps to gain a national advantage. This time it's North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers said Monday they plan to redraw the state's congressional boundaries with the aim of gaining at least one more seat for their party in Congress, reports the New York Times. State Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall said the Republican-controlled legislature will vote next week on this mid-decade redistricting—a move Democratic Gov. Josh Stein would not be able to veto.

"Picking up where Texas left off, we will hold votes in our October session to redraw North Carolina's congressional map to ensure Gavin Newsom doesn't decide the congressional majority," said Berger in a statement, a reference to the California governor and the tit-for-tat redistricting moves underway out West. Newsom, in response, called Berger "another lapdog Republican" and accused the GOP of "rigging elections," per Politico.

The gerrymandering trend began in Texas but has since spread to several other states. Indiana and Missouri are among those that might change their maps before 2026. As for North Carolina, the GOP already holds 10 of the state's 14 seats in the US Congress, and the new maps are expected to increase that number to 11.