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By Mandy Taheri
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North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger is floating a new redistricting push that the Republican-controlled legislature can pass without the Democratic governor’s approval, leaving Democrats little recourse to stop it.
Democratic U.S. Representative Deborah Ross told Newsweek that if the legislature pursues new maps, then “We will fight these corrupt redistricting plans in every single state. We will fight for our democracy and for American voters who are tired of corrupt leaders silencing their voices.”
Newsweek reached out to Berger for comment via email on Friday.
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Why It Matters
The potential redistricting move is part of a broader national battle over congressional maps, following similar efforts in Republican-led Texas, where GOP lawmakers passed a new map expected to grant Republicans another five seats. In Missouri, Republicans pushed forward a new map that has been applauded by President Donald Trump and is set to be signed by Governor Mike Kehoe this weekend.
Democrats in California, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, responded with their own proposed map aimed at giving their party five new seats, which will go to a vote later this year.
Mid-decade redistricting, conducted without new census data, has drawn strong backing from the president, who is working to secure a Republican majority in Congress ahead of the midterm elections. Republicans hold a 219-213 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, making every seat pivotal in determining control.
What To Know
On Thursday, Berger denied local reports that he sought Trump’s endorsement in his primary in exchange for pushing new congressional maps, writing on X: “I’ve never spoken to President Trump about this or an endorsement. The Democrats are spreading lies to hurt President Trump.”
However, he added, “We have drawn four Congressional maps in the last six years in redistricting fights with Democrats because of their sue-until-blue strategy. If we have to draw one more map this year, we will.”
Republicans currently have a 10-4 majority in the state delegation.
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To pass a map in the state, the North Carolina legislature needs to approve it with a simple majority. With Republicans controlling both chambers, it is likely that it will pass. Republicans hold 30 seats in the Senate, Democrats hold 20, and Republicans have 71 seats in the House, with Democrats holding 49.
While North Carolina's governor is a Democrat, he does not have the veto power to overrule the map, should it be passed, leaving Democrats without many options to block the move if it is put forth.
Courts can strike down maps that violate the U.S. Constitution or the Voting Rights Act. The state's Supreme Court has a Republican majority.
Nationwide, both Republicans and Democrats have been accused of gerrymandering, or creating maps that are most favorable to their party's seats, often splitting up natural communities for aggregated power.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Representative Deborah Ross, a North Carolina Democrat, told Newsweek: “If reports are true, North Carolina Republicans have truly stooped to a new low. Accepting a political endorsement in exchange for engaging in partisan gerrymandering is nothing less than blatant, unapologetic corruption. North Carolina Republicans have already rigged our maps in their favor, but they are now planning to go even further simply to appease Donald Trump.
“From Texas to Missouri and now North Carolina, Republicans are waging a war on American voting rights because they know the truth—their policies are unpopular, their candidates are unlikable, and they can’t win a majority in Congress without stacking the deck in their favor.
Missouri Senate Democrats posted on its official X account earlier this month regarding the state's new map proposal: "Missouri Republicans just passed the bill to water down your vote and silence your voice in Congress. Their gerrymandered map that was drawn in D.C. now goes to the governor for his signature."
President Donald Trump applauded previous redistricting moves, writing on Truth Social, earlier this month: "Thank you very much to the Great State of Missouri for the Redistricting which will, hopefully, give us an additional Seat in Congress!"
What Happens Next
Berger's primary race isn't until March 2026. The map, if proposed and passed, would be for the 2026 midterm elections.
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