N.C. GOP Approves Redrawn Map to Strengthen House Grip Before Midterms
North Carolina’s Republican-led General Assembly has approved a revised congressional map designed to secure at least one additional GOP seat in the U.S. House — a move aligned with President Donald Trump’s renewed national push for mid-decade redistricting as Republicans work to reinforce their narrow majority heading into the 2026 midterms.
The updated map builds on the GOP-drawn lines implemented in 2023 after the 2020 census, which resulted in Republicans winning 10 of North Carolina’s 14 House seats in the 2024 cycle — even as the state remains politically divided almost evenly. Under state law, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein cannot veto redistricting legislation, meaning the new map is expected to take effect unless overturned by the courts.
North Carolina’s action represents the third state this year where a Republican legislature has responded directly to Trump’s call for proactive redistricting to safeguard and expand the party’s congressional advantage. Texas and Missouri have already initiated similar mid-cycle redraws.
In Texas — where the latest push accelerated in mid-2025 — lawmakers proposed flipping as many as five Democrat-held districts. The effort partly stems from extended legal disputes, including a 2024 ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that invalidated certain district configurations around Baytown and Galveston. GOP legislators said the adjustments are required to reflect demographic changes and comply with federal law. Democrats claim it is a partisan effort enabled by Trump’s leadership. Despite Department of Justice scrutiny, the Texas plan continues moving forward.
Other GOP-led states — including Ohio, Kansas, and Indiana — are considering similar moves. The strategy has well-established precedent: Texas executed a high-profile mid-decade remap in 2003 under Gov. Rick Perry, significantly strengthening Republican control of the delegation.
Democrats and their allied media organizations have denounced the current wave of redistricting as “gerrymandering” — yet many Democrat-dominated states have aggressively shaped their own maps for partisan benefit. Illinois Democrats have forced Republican voters into as few districts as possible, maintaining a supermajority in the delegation. In Maryland, contorted district boundaries have helped Democrats secure seven of eight House seats despite Republicans winning roughly 40% of the statewide vote. New York Democrats attempted a sweeping gerrymander in 2022 that was later struck down — but only after exposing the scale of partisan intent.
Meanwhile, California Democrats have placed Proposition 50 on the November 2025 ballot, seeking to temporarily override the state’s independent redistricting system and allow political influence over congressional boundaries through 2030. The measure, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would target multiple Republican-held seats — including those held by Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Mike Garcia — as Democrats attempt to regain the House majority.
Nationally, Republicans currently control more state legislatures than Democrats, giving the GOP a strategic advantage in the redistricting arena. Democrats need just three flipped seats to take back the House — making these map battles intensely significant for both parties.
U.S. Rep. Don Davis, a North Carolina Democrat whose district is likely to be reshaped, condemned the move as “beyond the pale,” alleging Republicans were undermining fair representation.
Trump publicly celebrated the new North Carolina lines, calling the map a victory for “putting America First.” State House Speaker Destin Hall affirmed the sentiment, reposting Trump’s message and adding: “We’re putting America First in NC!”
As legal fights escalate across the map, the 2026 midterms may ultimately hinge on not just candidates or campaigns — but the political geography that determines who gets a seat at the table.