North Carolina: Republicans move forward on new congressional map to secure additional seat

The Republican-controlled North Carolina State Senate is moving toward a new congressional district map that seeks to consolidate its lead in the state's delegation in the U.S. Congress.

The map, which is expected to be ratified by the state House of Representatives soon, will transform the current split of 10 Republican and 4 Democratic seats into one of 11 to 3, eliminating Congressman Democrat Don Davis's seat in the 1st Congressional District.

Next steps

Redistricting legislation in North Carolina is not subject to veto by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, according to state law.

For his part, Matt Mercer, communications director for the North Carolina Republican Party, noted that the House, with a solid Republican majority, will pass the map quickly. Mercer defended the measure, arguing that the solution for those who oppose partisan gerrymandering of districts is to win statewide elections. “It’s about the moment, good candidates and good campaigns,” he said, according to a report from The Guardian, noting that Republicans won victories in 2010 under Democratic-designed maps.

The seat of Don Davis, representing the northeastern part of the state, was already competitive. According to election data, a swing of just 6,307 votes in 2024 would have given victory to his Republican opponent, Laurie Buckhout.

North Carolina: a tight political divide

In 2024, Donald Trump won 51% of the vote in the state, while 47.8% of congressional votes went to Democratic candidates.

At the state level, Democrats hold half of the elected offices, including governor and attorney general.

However, the Republican majority on the state Supreme Court, won in 2022, has facilitated changes to the electoral maps following the US Supreme Court's 2019 ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause.

Approval of the new map could cement Republican control in the North Carolina delegation.