North Carolina has enacted a mid-decade congressional map that analysts say will shift the state’s delegation from 10 – 4 to 11 Republicans and 3 Democrats. GOP lawmakers pushed the plan through both chambers on Wednesday, October 22. Because the North Carolina constitution exempts redistricting bills from the governor’s veto, the map became law the moment the House vote concluded. Local coverage notes the new lines overhaul the coastal 1st District, trimming its Black voting-age share below 40 percent and adding Republican-leaning counties, while shoring up neighboring GOP seats. View a PDF of the map.
The mid-cycle redraw comes after President Donald Trump’s call for Republican controlled states to redraw congressional maps to maximize Republican representation in Congress. Texas became the first state to oblige in August, and Missouri followed in September. Note that Utah recently passed a congressional map in October, but that was in response to a court order, and not a voluntary mid-decade redraw.
Litigation quickly followed the map’s enactment. Plaintiffs in the federal racial gerrymandering case, Williams v. Hall, amended their complaint to challenge the new plan, alleging the dilution of Black voting strength in the redesigned 1st District. A three-judge panel will likely determine whether a preliminary injunction is warranted. The State Board of Elections has requested that the court resolve the issue by December 1st so county officials can program precincts before candidate filing opens on the 8th.
If the court allows the plan to stand, North Carolinians will vote under the 11 – 3 map in the March 2026 primary. An injunction could force lawmakers to draw yet another map, North Carolina’s fourth since the 2020 census. The outcome will be closely watched nationally, as the balance of power in the U.S. House may hinge on a handful of seats. Read more at WUNC.org, NYT.com, NPR.org, and Politico.
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