Three federal judges ruled North Carolina's newly redrawn congressional maps can be used during the 2026 midterm elections.
North Carolina's map is likely to give Republicans an additional House seat as they try to retain their razor-thin majority.
The state's Republican leaders argued their motivation for drawing the new map was partisan and not because of race or political retaliation, The New York Times reported.
The judges in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina were all appointed by Republican presidents, including two by President Donald Trump.
In their 57-page ruling, the judges ruled the plaintiffs had not acted "with the intent to 'minimize or cancel out the voting potential' of Black North Carolinians," the Times reported.
North Carolina's new map redraws the state's 1st Congressional District, held by Democrat Rep. Don Davis, to include more Republican leaning areas, having previously included all eight of the state's majority Black counties.
Plaintiffs, which included the NAACP, said in court the state legislature "wiped North Carolina's historic Black Belt congressional district off the map, silencing Black voters by denying them any reasonable opportunity of electing their candidate of choice" to Congress.
"This is not redistricting as usual," Hilary Harris Klein, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs said at a hearing.
"It's a mid-decade, no-pretext attempt to cancel Black voters' voices because those in power didn't like the results of the last election," Klein added.
State Sen. Ralph Hise, who helped draw the new maps, said no racial data was used to create the new map.
"We undertook the process to improve the partisan advantage for Republicans," Hise said at a court hearing.
North Carolina has joined several other states in redrawing their maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
States like Texas and Missouri have redrawn their maps to give Republicans additional seats in Congress, while California voters approved a proposition that could give Democrats five additional seats.
"North Carolina Republicans went to work to protect the America first agenda," state Senate Leader Phil Berger said.
"North Carolinians voted to send President Trump to the White House in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and this new map reflects that support," Berger added.
"President Trump deserves a Congress that will fight for American citizens and move his agenda forward. Today's decision thwarts the radical left's latest attempt to circumvent the will of the people," Berger continued.
Indiana, Virginia and Maryland are all considering redrawing their congressional maps.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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