North Carolina remap’s a certainty, and so is the pushback

STOCK PHOTO

North Carolina lawmakers approved new congressional maps give Republicans more certainty in claiming 11 of the state's congressional seats in the 2026 midterm elections.

North Carolina Republicans have an 11th GOP-leaning congressional district.

The Republican-dominated state Senate approved a redistricting plan that reshapes the 1st Congressional District into a GOP stronghold that theoretically would push U.S. Rep. Don Davis, a Black Democrat, out of office. Democratic lawmakers, voting rights advocates and two of Davis’ predecessors criticized the redrawn map.

“Recent actions by Senate Republicans raise serious concerns about the lengths to which some politicians are willing to go to protect their own power,” Sen. Caleb Theodros, a Charlotte Democrat said in a statement. “Instead of focusing on serving the people of North Carolina, Senate Republicans appear to be prioritizing political alliances and personal interests. 

“Reports of an alleged deal to secure an endorsement from President Donald Trump in a primary race only deepen concerns about corruption and the erosion of public trust in our democratic institutions. Donald Trump has spent years playing games with our democracy in Washington, and now GOP leadership in North Carolina seems determined to follow in his footsteps.”

The redrawn lines, approved by the Senate along partisan lines on Oct. 21 and the House of Representatives today, isn’t subject to gubernatorial veto, meaning passage in both chambers will make the changes final. Lawsuits are expected upon passage.

Trump demanded Republican state lawmakers rewrite congressional maps to defend his agenda in Washington – starting with Texas and spreading to other states with GOP supermajorities. Democratic-leaning states responded with California passing a bill to establish a voter referendum next month, followed by Illinois. North Carolina’s single-district shift is small by comparison, but the message is clear: craft a majority Republican 1st in the state’s so-called “Black Belt.”

The current district is 40% Black, 47% white and skews slightly Republican.

“The motivation behind this new plan is straightforward,” said Republican state Sen. Ralph Hise, who chairs the Senate Redistricting Committee. “The new congressional map improves Republicans’ critical strength in eastern North Carolina.”

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) contends the new map is a response to partisan attempts to derail Trump’s drive to remake the federal government, where the White House, both chambers of Congress and the Supreme Court have veered to the right.

“The Democrats want to do everything they can to block President Trump’s America First Agenda,” he said in a statement. “North Carolinians support President Trump and it's incumbent on us to fight back against all attempts to defeat the will of the people of North Carolina as expressed in the 2024 presidential election.”

Retired U.S. Reps. Eva Clayton and G.K. Butterfield, who collectively represented the 1st for more than 30 years, slammed the remap in a joint statement as a blatant attempt to strip voters of color of their political power.

Butterfield and Clayton, like Davis, are Black Democrats.

“From the moment the district was reconstituted in the early 1990s, it has symbolized progress born of sacrifice and the hard work of generations who fought for equal access to the ballot box,” Clayton and Butterfield said. “We were proud to serve all the people in this district and are now dismayed to see the legislative leadership’s intent to dismantle it for pure partisan advantage.

“The proposed congressional map would silence communities that have long been the backbone of northeastern North Carolina, fracturing counties and towns that share common bonds of history, economy, and hope. This is not merely a political act — it is 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.”

Said Theodros: “Efforts to manipulate district maps to secure political advantage undermine the integrity of our elections and silence the voices of everyday North Carolinians. If leaders are confident in their record, they should welcome accountability at the ballot box, not hide from it through political maneuvering.

North Carolina’s elections belong to its people, not to politicians or political machines. Rigging maps is not governance; it’s an attempt to limit voter choice and weaken trust in our institutions.”

Comments