North Carolina Republican lawmakers announced plans Monday to redraw their state's congressional map, part of a nationwide redistricting effort aimed at shoring up the party's narrow majority in the U.S. House ahead of next year's midterm elections.
“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,” North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said in a statement.
Under North Carolina's current map, Republicans control 10 House seats to Democrats' four. The 1st Congressional District, which is represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis and is the most competitive seat in the state, is seen as a potential target.
In a joint statement, North Carolina’s Republican legislative leaders said they anticipate convening next week to consider a new map. Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, does not have veto power over the maps.
The decision is the latest in an aggressive and unusual mid-decade redistricting cycle around the country. Redistricting typically occurs after once-a-decade Census results are released.
It started in Texas, when Trump successfully urged state Republicans to draw a new map that could net the party up to five new House seats. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers responded with new district lines designed to blunt the impact of Texas' map. The California map still needs to be approved by voters next month.
“We are doing everything we can to protect President Trump’s agenda, which means safeguarding Republican control of Congress. Picking up where Texas left off, we will hold votes in our October session to redraw North Carolina’s congressional map to ensure Gavin Newsom doesn’t decide the congressional majority,” said state Senate Leader Phil Berger in a statement.
North Carolina Democrats protested the move shortly after it was announced.
"The General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump," Stein said in a statement. "The Republican leadership in the General Assembly has failed to pass a budget, failed to pay our teachers and law enforcement what they deserve, and failed to fully fund Medicaid. Now they are failing you, the voters. These shameless politicians are abusing their power to take away yours."
The Missouri Legislature also passed a new congressional map last month that targets Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s district in Kansas City. Opponents are pursuing a referendum petition that would give voters final say over whether it goes into effect.
In Ohio, Republicans are refusing to engage with Democrats in their bipartisan redistricting commission’s process, which will likely result in a new map with lines even more favorable to the GOP.
Lawmakers in other Republican-led states, including Indiana, Kansas and Florida, are also weighing mid-decade redistricting efforts.
