Oct 20, 2025 · legislative
North Carolina GOP enacts mid-decade congressional gerrymander adding Republican-leaning seat
North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature passes a new congressional map as part of the Trump-coordinated mid-decade redistricting wave, targeting one additional Republican-leaning seat ahead of the 2026 midterms. The map is part of the opening wave of Republican gerrymanders — alongside Texas (2025) and Missouri (September 2025) — that collectively add approximately nine Republican seats before November 2026.
The redistricting is coordinated through the National Republican Redistricting Trust, whose executive director Adam Kincaid worked with Trump adviser James Blair to design the strategy before Trump's inauguration.
A Brennan Center for Justice analysis characterizes the 2025–26 actions as a renewal of the 2010 \"REDMAP\" mid-decade gerrymander strategy, now accelerated by the VRA's weakening. Democratic-led California responds in August 2025 with its own constitutional amendment to redraw five Republican-held districts, triggering a national tit-for-tat redistricting battle.