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North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature on Monday took formal steps to redraw the state’s congressional district map, openly declaring their intent to secure another GOP seat in the U.S. House under President Donald Trump’s push to preserve his party’s majority next year.
The state Senate approved the new map along party lines, redrawing two eastern North Carolina districts in a move that could threaten the reelection of Democratic Rep. Don Davis, one of the state’s three Black members of Congress. The vote followed a raucous public hearing in which speakers accused Republican lawmakers of “bowing to Trump”and undermining fair elections.
“The motivation behind this redraw is simple and singular — draw a new map that will bring an additional Republican seat to the North Carolina congressional delegation,” said GOP Sen. Ralph Hise, the map’s chief architect. He added that if Democrats regain the House majority, they would “torpedo President Trump’s agenda.”
Political Stakes and Racial Backlash
The move comes amid a nationwide mid-decade redistricting battle, as both parties maneuver for control of the narrowly divided U.S. House. Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 congressional seats, compared with an even 7–7 split under the map used in 2022. Analysts say the new proposal could give the GOP an 11th seat in 2026.
Democrats and civil rights advocates condemned the map as an attack on Black political representation.
“This is an attack on Black voters,” said Democratic Sen. Kandie Smith, who represents a county in Davis’ current district. “It’s about stealing elections by design, so that the outcomes are predetermined and accountability becomes optional.”
Details of the Proposed Map
The plan shifts the 1st Congressional District, currently held by Davis, further to the right by removing inland counties — including Davis’ home county — and replacing them with coastal areas more favorable to Republicans. Those inland counties would be folded into the 3rd District, represented by Republican Greg Murphy, whose seat would remain safely red.
Republicans say they relied on partisan but not racial data in the redraw, citing recent court rulings that permit partisan gerrymandering but restrict race-based redistricting. Hise argued that the lack of clear evidence of racially polarized voting made it unconstitutional to prioritize race in drawing boundaries.
Broader Context and Trump’s Influence
Trump has urged GOP-led states to redraw districts to strengthen Republican representation, recently praising North Carolina lawmakers on Truth Social for “working hard to pass this new Map so that we can continue our incredible Record of SUCCESS.”
Democrats criticized the legislature for focusing on redistricting while the state remains months behind on passing a budget.
“They are wasting precious time and taxpayer dollars bending the knee to Donald Trump and ripping away the voice of the voters,” said Eric Willoughby, a 19-year-old college student who spoke at Monday’s hearing.
The North Carolina Democratic Party plans a rally at the statehouse Tuesday to protest the map. But with Democrats in the minority in both chambers and Gov. Josh Stein unable to veto redistricting legislation, the map’s approval is likely. Legal challenges are expected to follow.
Historic Concerns and Reactions
The 1st District has been represented by African Americans since 1992, and parts of it have majority-Black populations. Two former members of Congress who once held the seat, Eva Clayton and G.K. Butterfield, called the proposal “a moral regression.”
“It weakens the representation of Black North Carolinians and undermines the promise of equal voice and fair elections that so many have fought to secure,” they said in a joint statement.
The Senate is expected to give final approval Tuesday before sending the plan to the House for a vote later in the week.
