North Carolina Republicans are at it again.

Here we go again

North Carolina Republicans plan to redraw state’s congressional districts

House Democratic Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) said in a statement that the Republican effort is tantamount to “stealing a congressional district.” He condemned the state GOP for making a rapid push for new maps while failing to fully fund Medicaid.

“Republican lawmakers made clear today that they plan to come back to Raleigh and disenfranchise the voters of this state,” Reives said. “Instead of lowering costs for families or ensuring Medicaid can stay afloat, they are hellbent on consolidating as much power as they can.”

“The General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump,” said Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, adding that Republican leaders have “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.”

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton denounced Berger and Hall directly and said the redistricting effort was “corruption” aimed at shielding Trump from voter backlash.

“North Carolina Republicans Phil Berger and Destin Hall are weak, subservient cowards, willing to steamroll the people of our state so they can give Donald Trump what he wants — power without accountability,” she said. “Let me be clear: maps should not give you power; voters should.”

North Carolina’s congressional map already heavily favors Republicans, with 53% of the congressional vote giving Republicans a 10-4 majority in the House delegation. Only Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) holds a competitive seat, winning by less than 2% of the vote in the state’s 1st Congressional District in 2024.

The announcement comes weeks after a poll commissioned by Common Cause North Carolina found 84% of voters in the state oppose gerrymandering, including 78% of Republicans.

Melissa Price Kromm, chair of voter advocacy group North Carolina For The People, criticized the move as harmful to voters, calling instead for systemic reform and redistricting led by independent commissions.

“These new redistricting wars aren’t about fairness; they’re about power,” she said in a statement. “Every time politicians redraw maps to cling to power, trust in our democracy erodes.”

Kromm said “it’s telling” that House and Senate Republicans are able to come to a speedy agreement on redistricting while failing to pass a state budget. “They’re prioritizing power over people, again,” she said.

Stein said in September that the prospect of mid-decade redistricting in North Carolina is “ridiculous” and damaging to democracy.

“We just redistricted for the second time last cycle. So every two years is the theory that we’re gonna redistrict, so we can maximize the political advantage to stick it to one party and enhance another party?” Stein said. “We cannot get into this maximalist political power worldview because it will destroy this country.”