Not surprisingly, after the GOP-controlled North Carolina General Assembly passed a new congressional map in October that could potentially net Republicans an additional seat in the House of Representatives in 2026, lawsuits began in part on the grounds that the map was a deliberate attempt to dilute the black vote.
NC’s current Congressional composition is 10-4 GOP. The target on the map was the First Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Don Davis. Republicans viewed that one as a prime pickup opportunity, seeing that it has become increasingly competitive. For reference, Davis narrowly held on to the seat in 2024 against Trump-backed GOP nominee Laurie Buckhout, who lost by 6,000 votes in a race that saw the Libertarian candidate, Tom Bailey, get 10,000 votes.
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel from the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina ruled against the plaintiffs in the two lawsuits brought against GOP legislative leaders, denying requests for a preliminary injunction and allowing the map to go into effect ahead of the start of candidate filing, which is Monday:
A federal court in North Carolina is allowing the state to use a new Republican-drawn congressional map that would help the GOP pick up another seat in the House during next year’s midterm elections.A three-judge panel of U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina unanimously denied preliminary injunction requests in a pair of lawsuits that said in part that the new map was aimed at diluting the voting strength of Black voters, in violation of the 14th Amendment.The judges found that the challengers “presented no direct evidence” that the Legislature enacted the map for racially discriminatory purposes.”Instead, the direct evidence shows that the 2025 redistricting was motivated by partisan purposes,” the panel wrote Wednesday in a 57-page opinion.
In further explaining their ruling, the judges observed that “[N]one of the counties moved between CD 1 and 3 is majority black, and none belong to what Plaintiffs characterize as the Black Belt. Moving whole counties, as opposed to smaller blocks of voters, within this region does not raise an inference of racial targeting.”
They went on to write that, “In sum, we find that Williams Plaintiffs have not made a clear showing that the General Assembly likely enacted S.B. 249 with the intent to ‘minimize or cancel out the voting potential’ of black North Carolinians.”
In an emailed statement, State Sen. Leader Phil Berger (R), one of the defendants in the case, applauded the ruling:
“As Democrat-run states like California do everything in their power to undermine President Trump’s administration and agenda, North Carolina Republicans went to work to protect the America First Agenda. North Carolinians voted to send President Trump to the White House in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and this new map reflects that support. 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.”
An appeal of the ruling, a decision which came from two Trump-nominated judges and one Bush II-nominated judge, would take this case directly to the Supreme Court.
– Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –
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