North Carolina House Approves New Map
In a decisive and deeply consequential move, North Carolina Republicans have approved a new congressional map poised to tip the state’s U.S. House delegation even further to the right, setting the stage for a more GOP-friendly landscape in the 2026 midterm elections. The measure, which cleared both chambers of the state legislature within 48 hours, passed the House 66-48 along strict party lines, with Democrats vocally denouncing the redistricting effort.
Currently, North Carolina sends 10 Republicans and four Democrats to Congress. The newly approved map is expected to shift that balance to 11 Republicans and just 3 Democrats, a change that underscores the strategic gains Republicans continue to pursue in battleground states.
Crucially, North Carolina law does not allow the governor to veto redistricting legislation, leaving Governor Josh Stein — a Democrat — powerless to intervene. Without that executive check, the map’s approval marks the effective conclusion of the redistricting process, barring future legal challenges.
The new North Carolina congressional map has PASSED the NC House and Senate.
The bill does not require the Governor’s signature and is now law
Change To Dem Rep Don Davis in #NC01
🔴 Trump +3 -> 🔴 Trump +11 pic.twitter.com/wM921mJrB7— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) October 22, 2025
Republican leaders were unapologetic. Majority Leader Brenden Jones hailed the move, telling reporters, “It’s a fact that we will send one more Republican to Congress from this great state.” He also issued a pointed rebuke to Democrats, suggesting that their frustrations with the process were self-inflicted: “You can be mad about redistricting all you want, but you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself, what got us here?”
The new boundaries will significantly impact Democratic Rep. Don Davis, whose district becomes notably more conservative under the revised map. In 2024, the area voted for Donald Trump by a margin of 11 points, compared to just 3 points in its previous configuration. While Davis has confirmed he’ll run again, his team acknowledged he may pivot to the 3rd District — another Republican-leaning seat — in a tactical maneuver to remain in Congress.
Democratic leaders, meanwhile, warned of far-reaching implications. House Minority Leader Robert Reives painted a sobering picture: “I would ask that you mark this day,” he said on the House floor, “because one day they’re coming to you, they’re going to ask you to do something that you just can’t do.” He added that the party had ceded too much to a single leader, a thinly veiled critique of both state and national Republican leadership.
From a national lens, North Carolina’s redistricting is not an isolated event but part of a broader GOP strategy to shore up congressional power ahead of the midterms. Republican-led states like Texas and Missouri have already passed new maps favorable to the party. Others, including Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and Louisiana, are expected to follow suit.
Democrats are fighting back where they can. In states like California, New York, and Illinois, Democratic lawmakers are either preparing or advancing their own maps designed to offset Republican gains. In fact, California Governor Gavin Newsom is now backing a ballot measure that would remake the state’s congressional map to favor Democrats more explicitly.
As Senator Phil Berger framed it, the new North Carolina map reflects the will of voters who “sent President Trump to the White House three times,” invoking both political legacy and populist momentum.