The move comes as President Donald Trump has encouraged Republican-led states to redraw maps to maximize GOP control of Congress.
RALEIGH — Redistricting of North Carolina’s congressional map moved ahead Monday, with the Senate Elections Committee and the full Senate approving the map after a third reading on Tuesday.
Debate on the Senate floor Monday lasted almost three hours, included procedural delay tactics by Democrats, and ended in a second reading vote passing the map package by a vote of 25-20 down partisan lines.
Senate Democrats protested the second reading passage, with those members submitting a “Constitutional protest” to be put in the record for the reason the legislation is “injurious to the public.”
The House Select Committee on Redistricting gave a favorable approval to the map changes on Tuesday despite objections by Democrats. Late on Tuesday, the House Rules Committee took up and was expected approved the measure. The full House is expected to take up the map bill in the coming days.
Since the governor cannot veto redistricted maps in North Carolina, passage by both chambers will mean enactment for 2026. The new map will also likely face lawsuits.
Lawmakers first announced the intent to alter the maps Oct. 13.
The 1st and 3rd Districts — seats held by Reps. Don Davis (D-Snow Hill) and Greg Murphy (R-Greenville), respectively — are the only North Carolina’s 14 congressional districts that are changed in the maps.
The proposed map shifts six counties from Murphy’s district to Davis’ district: Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico. Additionally, four counties would shift from Davis’ district to Murphy’s: Greene, Lenoir, Wayne and Wilson, as well as a small portion of Swansboro in Onslow County.
“In the 2024 election with record voter turnout, NC’s First Congressional District elected both President Trump and me,” wrote Davis in a statement on X. “Since the start of this new term, my office has received 46,616 messages from constituents of different political parties, including those unaffiliated, expressing a range of opinions, views, and requests. Not a single one of them included a request for a new congressional map redrawing eastern North Carolina.”
“Clearly, this new congressional map is beyond the pale,” added Davis.
Murphy has not yet issued a formal statement.
Senate Redistricting Committee Co-chair Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) said the motivation for changing the maps was “simple and singular” — to draw an additional Republican seat to maintain Republicans’ “razor-thin” margin in the U.S. House and keep the Democrats from “torpedoing” President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“This is a political arms race that Republicans did not start,” said Hise. “Democrat-controlled states across the country adopted far more aggressive gerrymanders than that systematically diluted Republican votes.”
Hise pointed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts “to double down on California’s already severe political gerrymander.”
“President Trump has called on Republican-controlled states across the country to fight fire with fire,” said Hise. “This map answers that call.”
Hise said no racial data was used, nor did the redistricting chairs believe it should be as none of the three preconditions set out in Thornburg v. Gingles to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act were present.
Sen. Minority Leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) asked Hise several questions centering on when the decision to draw the maps was made and if there were direct communications with Trump or the White House.
Hise said Oct. 13 was when Republicans started to look at map alternatives and that there was no direct communication with the Trump administration. Hise also said no outside experts were consulted. He said neither Murphy nor Davis was consulted.
The maps, materials, audio and files, as well as a public comments portal can be accessed on the General Assembly’s homepage under the “2025 Redistricting” link.
