North Carolina Republicans Approve New Congressional Map

Trump-backed redistricting push redraws Don Davis’s district, sparking outrage and likely court battles ahead of 2026 midterms.

North Carolina Republicans have finalized a new congressional map that is expected to give the GOP another stronghold in next year’s midterm elections — part of a coordinated national effort encouraged by former President Donald Trump to expand Republican power in the U.S. House.

The plan, approved Wednesday by the state legislature, reshapes the state’s 1st Congressional District — currently held by Democrat Don Davis — in a way that would have favored Trump by roughly 11 percentage points in 2024. The change is widely expected to make the district nearly impossible for Democrats to retain.

“This new map is beyond the pale,” Davis said. “Since the start of this term, my office has received 46,616 messages from constituents of all political backgrounds. Not a single one included a request for a new congressional map redrawing eastern North Carolina.”

A spokesperson for Davis said he still plans to seek reelection, either in his current district or in the neighboring 3rd District — both of which have been redrawn to lean Republican. Davis lives in the newly drawn third district.

Part of a National GOP Strategy

North Carolina’s new map marks the seventh red-leaning seat created nationwide since 2024, following similar redistricting efforts in Texas and Missouri. The push, backed by the Trump campaign, aims to cement GOP dominance ahead of the 2026 midterms and counter what Republicans describe as partisan maps in Democratic-led states like Illinois, Maryland, and California.

“North Carolina Republicans will not sit quietly and watch Democrats continue to ignore the will of the people,” Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said on X after the bill’s passage. “This new map respects the will of North Carolina voters who sent President Trump to the White House three times.”

Republican leaders in Raleigh insist the map was drawn legally and without racial data. Critics, however, say the plan fractures Black communities in the state’s northeast — the same areas that have helped elect a Black Democrat to Congress for more than three decades.

Democrats Decry Partisan Motives

Democrats condemned the new map as the latest in a series of political power grabs designed to silence dissent and diminish representation for minority and moderate voters.

“We’re ground zero for gerrymandering, unfortunately,” said state Sen. Natalie Murdock (D-Durham). “Every two years, North Carolinians are forced to adapt to new lines while the majority party rewrites the rules to hold on to power.”

North Carolina’s congressional delegation currently includes 10 Republicans and four Democrats, despite the state’s evenly divided voter base. Under the new boundaries, Republicans are projected to hold 11 of the state’s 14 seats, leaving just three safe Democratic districts concentrated in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Greensboro.

Governor’s Hands Tied

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has no authority to veto the redistricting plan — a result of a 1990s-era agreement that stripped the governor’s office of that power. As a result, once both chambers approved the plan along party lines, it became law immediately.

The redistricting process drew intense public backlash, including over 12,000 online comments opposing the map and protests in the General Assembly gallery that prompted state police to remove chanting demonstrators earlier this week.

Legal Showdown Expected

The redraw marks the fourth consecutive election cycle North Carolina voters will face new congressional lines — a record among U.S. states. The previous version of the 1st District remains the subject of an ongoing federal lawsuit alleging racial vote dilution. Legal experts expect fresh challenges to the 2025 plan within days.

“This map may pass in the legislature, but it won’t pass constitutional scrutiny,” said one civil rights attorney who has previously represented plaintiffs in North Carolina redistricting suits.

Republican Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), who oversaw the map-drawing process, said he is confident it will withstand legal review. “We followed the law,” Hise said. “Our districts reflect population shifts, not politics.”

What Comes Next

With Trump’s backing and a growing national strategy among GOP-controlled legislatures, North Carolina’s latest redraw underscores the continuing national battle over who controls the levers of democracy ahead of 2026.

For Rep. Don Davis — a moderate Democrat who has often worked across the aisle — the new lines present a political crossroads. Once seen as one of the few remaining swing-district Democrats in the South, Davis now faces an uphill fight to remain in Congress.

“I’ll continue to fight for the people of eastern North Carolina,” Davis said, “no matter what lines politicians draw.”

There was no change to the map for Rutherford County, which is part of the 14th Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Tim Moore.