Federal Court Upholds North Carolina’s Redistricting Map

A three-judge panel in North Carolina rejected a lawsuit challenging the state’s newly drawn congressional maps on Wednesday, reinforcing what has become a defining reality of the national redistricting fight: Democrats continue to lean on racial gerrymandering claims that courts increasingly find unconvincing.

The panel ruled that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that Republican lawmakers intentionally discriminated against black voters when crafting the 2025 maps.

“Though not fatal to their claim…Williams Plaintiffs have presented no direct evidence that the General Assembly enacted S.B. 249 to discriminate against black North Carolinians,” the judges wrote in their 57-page decision. “Instead, the direct evidence shows that the 2025 redistricting was motivated by partisan purposes.”

The ruling further underscored that the plaintiffs “failed to show that the redistricting process discriminated against black North Carolinians.”

Democratic-aligned plaintiffs, undeterred by the defeat, vowed to continue rallying voters in the eastern part of the state amid what they describe as a coordinated Republican power play.

“Although the court’s decision keeps North Carolina at the center of this national mid-decade redistricting battle, we will continue to show eastern North Carolina families why they matter most,” one plaintiff representative said. “We will not let these blatant power grabs silence the voices of eastern North Carolinians.”

The broader redistricting effort sweeping the country has increasingly become a high-stakes struggle between the two parties, with Republican-led legislatures undertaking mid-decade redraws largely encouraged by President Donald J. Trump as he works to secure a durable House majority ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

North Carolina Republicans introduced their latest map this week, joining states such as Texas and Missouri in advancing aggressive redraws. The North Carolina proposal takes aim at the district held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis and would likely give the GOP control of 11 of the state’s 14 House seats, up from the current 10.

Once approved, the new map would bring the total number of newly crafted, Republican-favored districts nationwide this year to seven.

CNN noted that while mid-decade redistricting has historically been rare, GOP-controlled North Carolina has now joined a wave of states embracing the strategy.

State Sen. Ralph Hise, a Republican overseeing the process, offered a candid explanation for the push.

“The motivation behind this redraw is simple and singular: draw a new map that will bring an additional Republican seat to the congressional delegation,” he said, adding that if Democrats regain control of the U.S. House, they will “torpedo President Trump’s agenda.”

Republicans moved swiftly this week, holding their first public hearing Monday morning and approving the map in the state Senate on Tuesday over the objections of Democrats and progressive activists who packed the Capitol in Raleigh.

The measure now moves to the state House, where GOP lawmakers are expected to sign off quickly. Under state law, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein cannot veto redistricting plans.

Despite its status as a competitive state where Democrats like Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper have secured statewide victories, Republican leaders defended the map’s partisan alignment as a reflection of North Carolina’s continued support for the President.

“This new map respects the will of the North Carolina voters who sent President Trump to the White House three times,” state Senate leader Phil Berger said, according to CNN.

Texas kicked off this year’s redistricting push by advancing a map designed to deliver five new Republican-leaning districts. Missouri Republicans followed suit with a map intended to create an additional GOP seat, though both states now face legal challenges. In Missouri, opponents have even launched a petition drive to overturn the new boundaries.

Republicans hold a structural advantage in the ongoing redistricting fight, controlling the governorship and both chambers of the legislature in 23 states, compared with just 15 under full Democratic control.

More GOP-led states are weighing new maps in the coming months as President Trump’s allies look to reshape the House landscape before 2026.