A federal three-judge panel on Wednesday allowed North Carolina to use a redrawn congressional map aimed at flipping a seat to Republicans as part of a multi-state mid-decade redistricting effort ahead of the 2026 midterms. The panel unanimously denied requests for preliminary injunctions after a mid-November hearing in Winston-Salem.
The map targets the state’s only swing seat, the 1st District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis. The district has been represented by Black members of Congress continuously for more than 30 years. According to a CBS News analysis, the new configuration would shift the district’s Democratic share from 48% to about 44%. Separate litigation challenging October’s changes says the Black voting-age population in the 1st would fall from 40% under the 2023 map to 32% under the newest plan.
Republican-controlled legislators moved counties with substantial Black—and typically Democratic—populations into the neighboring 3rd District, represented by Republican Greg Murphy. Recent results suggest both districts would be favorable for Republicans under the new lines. Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 House seats and hope to pick up an 11th with these changes. Candidate filing for many 2026 North Carolina races is scheduled to begin Dec. 1.
The suits include one filed by the state NAACP, Common Cause and voters arguing that lawmakers targeted the “Black Belt” in retaliation for political organizing and voting—claims framed as First Amendment violations. Another suit by voters contends that using five-year-old Census data because of a mid-decade redraw violates the Constitution’s one-person, one-vote principle under the 14th Amendment and that race was improperly used in mapmaking, violating both the First and 14th Amendments.
Attorneys for the Republican map-drafters countered that the goals were political, not racial, describing the effort as part of a “nationwide partisan redistricting arms race.” They rejected challenges about old Census data and assertions of retaliation, saying those claims do not align with Supreme Court precedent.
The three judges—each appointed by Republican presidents—also recently upheld several other U.S. House districts that GOP lawmakers first enacted in 2023. Those lines were used in the 2024 elections, contributing to Republican gains of three House seats. Nationwide, President Trump has urged GOP legislatures to redraw maps mid-decade to try to protect Republican control of Congress in 2026; similar moves have occurred in Texas and Missouri. A lower court froze Texas’ new map last week, but the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily paused that freeze days later.
By contrast, voters in California recently adopted new districts drawn to improve Democrats’ chances, and the Democratic-led Virginia General Assembly has taken steps toward a redistricting constitutional amendment. Democrats need a net gain of three House seats to win control of the chamber and impede Mr. Trump’s agenda.
North Carolina’s Republican-controlled General Assembly gave final approval to the map changes on Oct. 22; Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s signature was not required. State Senate leader Phil Berger praised the ruling, saying it thwarts efforts he described as “the radical left’s latest attempt to circumvent the will of the people.” Previously filed lawsuits challenging the 2023 map alleged that Republicans fractured and packed Black voters to dilute their influence; judges recently dismissed claims against five congressional and three legislative districts, finding plaintiffs had not proven a discriminatory purpose.
