Leaders of the state Legislature on Thursday unveiled a new proposed congressional map, which they will discuss next week in an effort to maintain or expand Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections.
As announced this week by Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Dustin Hall, the new congressional map would give Republicans one more seat in Congress, by changing the state’s only competitive district into one more favorable to their party.
The new map published by the Legislature modifies District 1 won in 2024 by Democratic Rep. Don Davis by a narrow margin of less than 2 percent, taking territories of up to 6 counties from the current District 3 occupied by Republican Greg Murphy.
As a result, the new District 1 would give Republicans a 55-44% advantage based on the 2024 presidential election vote, to unseat Davis in the 2026 election.
North Carolina has 14 representatives in Congress, 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats. The new map would change the Republican lead to 11-3.
Under this proposal, the new District 1 adds Beaufort, Craven, Carteret, Pamlico, Hyde and Dare counties, while ceding Wilson, Wayne, Lenoir and Greene counties to District 3.
The Legislature plans to vote on the new maps next week in a surprise redistricting session that usually takes place at the end of each decade, after the census.
As announced by Berger and Hall last Monday, the goal of this change is to help President Donald Trump maintain Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections.
“President Trump won countless victories during his first term, and nine months into his second, he continues to achieve unprecedented victories,” Berger said in the statement. “We’re doing everything we can to protect President Trump’s agenda, which means safeguarding Republican control of Congress.”
“President Trump got a clear mandate from voters in North Carolina and the rest of the country, and we intend to defend it by winning an additional Republican seat in Congress,” Hall said in the joint statement with Berger.
Berger and Hall’s announcement came after President Trump called on Republican-led legislatures across the country to redraw their congressional districts to help sustain Republican control of Congress.
Texas recently amended its electoral maps, creating five new Republican-friendly districts, prompting a response from California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newson, who announced special elections in November to approve new electoral maps in that state, which would add more Democratic seats in Congress.
