North Carolina's Republican-led legislature has approved a new congressional map that should help it snag an extra seat in the US House in the next election. The state House passed the map in a 66-48 vote on Wednesday, following Senate approval the previous day. The driving force behind the effort, GOP state Sen. Ralph Hise, was blunt about the goal, per NBC News: "The motivation behind this redraw is simple and singular ... bring an additional Republican seat to the North Carolina Congressional delegation."
With Republicans currently holding 10 of 14 House seats in the state, the new lines are expected to boost that majority. The new map reshapes North Carolina's 1st District—the AP reports it's the state's only swing district and is currently held by Democrat Don Davis—to favor Republicans, while shifting some Democratic voters into the already GOP-controlled 3rd District. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein does not have the power to veto the redistricting, meaning the map will be in play for the 2026 elections. The AP calls a legal challenge by Democrats or civil rights groups "likely."
The process drew fierce criticism from Democrats and members of the public, who argued the changes dilute the voting power of Black and Latino communities. During a House committee hearing, protesters labeled the maps "racist" before being removed from the room.
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North Carolina isn't alone in this trend. Republican lawmakers in Texas and Missouri have also redrawn maps to gain House seats, and similar efforts are underway or being considered in Kansas, Indiana, and Ohio. Democrats, meanwhile, are pursuing their own redistricting pushes in states like California, Maryland, and Illinois.
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