The Republican-controlled Legislature of North Carolina has successfully passed a new congressional map designed to enhance the party's influence as the 2026 midterm elections approach. On Wednesday, the state House approved this strategic map with a vote of 66-48, following a similar advancement in the state Senate just a day earlier. This move comes nine days after GOP legislative leaders announced their intentions to revamp the congressional district lines.
The primary objective behind this redistricting effort, as articulated by state Sen. Ralph Hise, who was instrumental in preparing the map, is straightforward: to create a new district configuration that will yield an additional Republican seat in the North Carolina Congressional delegation. Hise stated during a committee hearing this week, “The motivation behind this redraw is simple and singular.”
Under the newly proposed lines, North Carolina’s 1st District—which narrowly supported President Donald Trump in the recent 2024 election and is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis—will be adjusted to become more favorable for Republican candidates. In contrast, the adjacent 3rd District will absorb new areas that lean Democratic. Presently, Republicans hold 10 out of the state’s 14 congressional districts, and this map could solidify their dominance.
Notably, the new congressional map does not require approval from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, who lacks veto power over the legislation. As a result, the map is set to take effect before the critical 2026 elections, during which Republicans aim to maintain their narrow majority in the House.
In the lead-up to the approval, both Democrats and members of the public voiced their discontent regarding the new map during committee hearings. They argued that the redistricting plan dilutes the political power of Black and Latino voters to achieve Republican goals. Protesters labeled the map as “racist” during the public comment period of a House committee hearing on Tuesday, leading to their removal for disrupting the proceedings.
State Rep. Gloristine Brown expressed her concerns on the House floor, emphasizing that racial data was unnecessary, as every member of the legislature was aware of the significant Black population in northeastern North Carolina. Additionally, Democratic state Rep. Pricey Harrison revealed that out of 11,000 public comments submitted to the House committee, only three were in support of the new map. Harrison conveyed her frustration, stating, “I’m just so angry about what we’re doing to our democracy today.”
North Carolina's new map is part of a broader trend among Republican lawmakers who are responding to former President Trump’s call for aggressive mid-decade redistricting efforts. Trump recently praised North Carolina's improved map on his platform, Truth Social, claiming it would give “the fantastic people of North Carolina” the chance to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the upcoming elections.
Other states have also seen similar movements, with Texas lawmakers approving a map aimed at securing an additional five House seats for Republicans in August. Following this, Missouri Republicans enacted a map that shifted Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s district to a more Republican-leaning stance. Concurrently, Republican lawmakers in Kansas and Indiana are contemplating new district lines, while Ohio is mandated to create new maps after its last configuration was passed without Democratic support.
