Republican legislators in North Carolina approved a new congressional map on Wednesday that could give the GOP an additional House seat in the 2026 midterm elections.
The new boundaries cleared the state Senate in a party-line vote Tuesday before winning House approval Wednesday. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein cannot veto redistricting legislation under state law, meaning the GOP-drawn map is likely to take effect unless blocked by a court.
The revised districts are expected to expand Republicans’ advantage from 10 to 11 of North Carolina’s 14 congressional seats by dismantling the district currently held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis, who narrowly won reelection in 2024 by less than two percentage points.
Davis did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment but said in a statement Tuesday that many constituents believe the new map “fundamentally goes against our core values.”
Republican state House Speaker Destin Hall announced the decision to redraw the maps earlier this month, citing the need to defend what he called President Donald Trump’s “mandate from the voters.”
“President Trump earned a clear mandate from the voters of North Carolina and the rest of the country, and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican Congressional seat,” Hall wrote. “Our state won’t stand by while Democrats like Gavin Newsom redraw districts to aid in their effort to obtain a majority in the U.S. House. We will not allow them to undermine the will of the voters and President Trump’s agenda.”
Trump celebrated the map’s introduction on Friday, calling it “fair and improved.”
“This new map would give the fantastic people of North Carolina the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections, which would be a HUGE Victory for our America First Agenda,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
North Carolina joins several GOP-led states redrawing congressional districts ahead of 2026. In Texas, Republican lawmakers approved new redistricting maps in August after a heated standoff that saw dozens of Democratic lawmakers flee the state to block a quorum. The plan, which passed 88–52 along party lines, is expected to add five new Republican-leaning seats.
Missouri followed in September with a map projected to create one additional GOP seat, while Indiana lawmakers are also weighing changes that could strengthen Republican advantages there.
Meanwhile, Democrats in California have poured tens of millions of dollars into their own redistricting campaign. Voters there will decide in November whether to transfer redistricting authority from the state’s independent commission to the Legislature. If approved, the plan could give Democrats as many as five additional seats, reducing the state’s already small Republican delegation to just four out of 52.
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