North Carolina Republican lawmakers announced on Monday a plan to redraw the state's congressional map, which is expected to give the GOP one additional House seat in the 2026 midterms.
"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 (R-Caldwell) said in a statement, according to NC Newsline.
According to reports, Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, is unable to veto a new congressional map brought by Republican lawmakers.
There's little to stand in their way. Passing a new congressional map requires only a simple majority vote in both chambers of the General Assembly, and Republicans hold majorities in both. The new districts are not subject to Stein's veto. Judicial action is also unlikely, as both the U.S. Supreme Court and North Carolina Supreme Court have held that partisan gerrymandering falls outside of their purview.
Hall cited efforts by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to overturn independent maps in his state to create more Democratic seats, which itself came in response to redistricting at President Donald Trump's urging in Texas and Missouri.
"Our state won't stand by while Democrats like Gavin Newsom redraw districts to aid in their efforts to obtain a majority in the U.S. House," Hall said. "We will not allow them to undermine the will of the voters and President Trump's agenda."
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) -- who first floated the idea of a new map last month -- said protecting Trump's agenda requires "safeguarding Republican control of Congress."
"The General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump. 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. I will always fight for you because the voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around," Stein said in a statement.