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Redistricting in North Carolina ahead of the 2026 elections

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North Carolina is considering mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections. Click here to read more about the ongoing redistricting effort in North Carolina and other states.

Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. This article covers redistricting activity in North Carolina after the 2024 elections and before the 2026 elections.
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Redistricting
State legislative and congressional redistricting after the 2020 census
General information
State-by-state redistricting procedures • Majority-minority districts • Gerrymandering
The 2020 cycle
United States census, 2020 • Congressional apportionment • Redistricting committees • Deadlines • 2022 House elections with multiple incumbents • New U.S.House districts created after apportionment • Congressional maps • State legislative maps • Lawsuits • Status of redistricting after the 2020 census
Redrawn maps
Redistricting before 2024 elections • Redistricting before 2026 elections
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North Carolina's 14 United States representatives and 170 state legislators are all elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Congressional districts
Mid-decade redistricting in North Carolina ahead of the 2026 elections is ongoing.

North Carolina is considering mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections. The North Carolina General Assembly previously adopted new congressional district boundaries on October 25, 2023.[1] The legislation adopting the new maps passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-18 and the State House by a vote of 64-40.[2] Both votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[3][4]

The New York Times' Maggie Astor wrote, "The map creates 10 solidly Republican districts, three solidly Democratic districts and one competitive district. Currently, under the lines drawn by a court for the 2022 election, each party holds seven seats. The Democratic incumbents who have been essentially drawn off the map are Representatives Jeff Jackson in the Charlotte area, Kathy Manning in the Greensboro area and Wiley Nickel in the Raleigh area. A seat held by a fourth Democrat, Representative Don Davis, is expected to be competitive."[1]

Click here for more information about the congressional maps enacted in North Carolina after the 2020 census.

Legislative districts
State legislative redistricting in North Carolina after the 2020 census has concluded.

On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.[5] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-17 and the State House by a vote of 63-40.[6] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed the state Senate by a vote of 27-17 and the State House by a vote of 62-44.[7] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[8][9][10][11] WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that Catawba College Prof. Michael "Bitzer said Republicans have drawn maps that have a strong chance of preserving their veto-proof super majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Bitzer noted that constitutional provisions, like requiring legislators to keep counties whole when drawing state legislative districts, make it more difficult for lawmakers to gerrymander these maps more aggressively."[12]

Click here for more information about the state legislative maps enacted in North Carolina after the 2020 census.

For a complete overview of redistricting in North Carolina after the 2020 census, click here.

Summary

See also: Redistricting in North Carolina after the 2020 census

This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.

Court challenges

See also: Redistricting lawsuits in the 2020 redistricting cycle

For more information about redistricting lawsuits in North Carolina, click here.

Enacted maps

Enacted congressional district maps

See also: Congressional district maps implemented after the 2020 census

On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new congressional district boundaries.[1] The legislation adopting the new maps passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-18 and the State House by a vote of 64-40.[13] Both votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[14][15]

The New York Times' Maggie Astor wrote, "The map creates 10 solidly Republican districts, three solidly Democratic districts and one competitive district. Currently, under the lines drawn by a court for the 2022 election, each party holds seven seats. The Democratic incumbents who have been essentially drawn off the map are Representatives Jeff Jackson in the Charlotte area, Kathy Manning in the Greensboro area and Wiley Nickel in the Raleigh area. A seat held by a fourth Democrat, Representative Don Davis, is expected to be competitive."[1]

Enacted state legislative district maps

See also: State legislative district maps implemented after the 2020 census

On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.[5] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-17 and the State House by a vote of 63-40.[16] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed the state Senate by a vote of 27-17 and the State House by a vote of 62-44.[17] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[18][19][20][21] WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that Catawba College Prof. Michael "Bitzer said Republicans have drawn maps that have a strong chance of preserving their veto-proof super majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Bitzer noted that constitutional provisions, like requiring legislators to keep counties whole when drawing state legislative districts, make it more difficult for lawmakers to gerrymander these maps more aggressively."[22]

The state redrew its district boundaries after the state supreme court overturned its 2022 decision that North Carolina's enacted congressional and legislative maps were unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering.

As a result of state supreme court elections in 2022, the court flipped from a 4-3 Democratic majority to a 5-2 Republican majority. In its ruling, the court said, "we hold that partisan gerrymandering claims present a political question that is nonjusticiable under the North Carolina Constitution. Accordingly, the decision of this Court in Harper I is overruled. We affirm the three judge panel’s 11 January 2022 Judgment concluding, inter alia, that partisan gerrymandering claims are nonjusticiable, political questions and dismissing all of plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice."Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The New York Times, "North Carolina Republicans Approve House Map That Flips at Least Three Seats," October 26, 2023
  2. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 757 / SL 2023-145," accessed October 26, 2023
  3. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #613," accessed October 26, 2023
  4. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #492," accessed October 26, 2023
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Carolina Journal, "New state House, Senate, and congressional maps finalized," October 25, 2023
  6. ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 758 / SL 2023-146," accessed October 26, 2023
  7. ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "House Bill 898 / SL 2023-149," accessed October 26, 2023
  8. ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #614," accessed October 26, 2023
  9. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #499," accessed October 26, 2023
  10. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #504," accessed October 26, 2023
  11. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #604," accessed October 26, 2023
  12. ↑ WUNC, "New district maps show signs of GOP partisan gerrymandering," October 24, 2023
  13. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 757 / SL 2023-145," accessed October 26, 2023
  14. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #613," accessed October 26, 2023
  15. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #492," accessed October 26, 2023
  16. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 758 / SL 2023-146," accessed October 26, 2023
  17. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Bill 898 / SL 2023-149," accessed October 26, 2023
  18. ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #614," accessed October 26, 2023
  19. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #499," accessed October 26, 2023
  20. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #504," accessed October 26, 2023
  21. ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #604," accessed October 26, 2023
  22. ↑ WUNC, "New district maps show signs of GOP partisan gerrymandering," October 24, 2023
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