Republicans Push Nationwide Redistricting Wave to Strengthen House Majority

A wave of redistricting battles is sweeping across the United States as Republican-led legislatures — encouraged by former President Donald Trump — move to redraw congressional maps that could further solidify the party’s control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In North Carolina, GOP lawmakers are advancing a new congressional map that would likely shift another seat into Republican hands, giving the party an edge in 11 of the state’s 14 districts. The plan targets the district currently held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis, turning what was once a competitive seat into a likely Republican stronghold.

If the new map is enacted, North Carolina will become the seventh state this year to produce a Republican-favored district, marking one of the most coordinated redistricting pushes in recent history.

Republican-controlled states such as Texas, Missouri, and Indiana are already pursuing similar plans — part of a broader effort to expand GOP representation before next year’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, Democrats are attempting to respond in states where they hold power, including California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom is backing a ballot initiative to allow the state assembly to override its independent redistricting commission and draw five new Democrat-leaning districts.

While mid-decade redistricting is historically rare, North Carolina has emerged as a major flashpoint. Lawmakers held public hearings this week before passing the proposal through the state Senate, despite protests and pushback from Democrats who called the move a “partisan power grab.” The measure now heads to the state House for final approval.

Under North Carolina law, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein cannot veto redistricting plans, meaning the new map is almost certain to take effect once approved.

State Sen. Ralph Hise, one of the Republicans overseeing the redistricting process, made no effort to disguise the political motive. “The goal here is simple,” he said. “We are redrawing the map to give North Carolina one more Republican seat. The stakes are too high to do anything less.”

GOP leaders have justified the move as a reflection of the state’s political leanings, citing Trump’s repeated victories there. “This map honors the will of North Carolina voters who sent Donald Trump to the White House,” said Senate leader Phil Berger.

The effort in North Carolina mirrors similar campaigns in Texas and Missouri, where Republican lawmakers approved maps designed to carve out additional GOP districts. Both of those maps now face legal challenges from voting rights groups, who argue that the changes dilute minority representation and unfairly favor one party.

In Texas, Republicans pushed through a proposal adding five new right-leaning districts. In Missouri, the legislature approved a redistricting plan aimed at capturing another seat for the GOP, prompting activists to launch a petition drive seeking to overturn it through a statewide referendum.

Republicans currently hold a structural advantage in the redistricting process, with control of both the governorship and legislature in 23 states — compared to just 15 under full Democratic control.

Elsewhere, several GOP-led states are considering mid-decade redistricting sessions of their own. In Kansas, lawmakers have set aside nearly half a million dollars to fund a potential special session aimed at redrawing district lines — a move that could reshape the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids, the state’s only Democratic member of Congress.

In Indiana, where Republicans already control seven of nine congressional seats, discussions are underway about targeting one of the remaining Democratic districts. Vice President J.D. Vance has reportedly met with state legislators twice this year to encourage them to pursue the change, part of what insiders describe as the White House’s quiet push to expand Republican influence through redistricting.

Meanwhile, Ohio and Utah — both under Republican control — are continuing to grapple with legal battles over earlier redistricting plans. Courts in those states have struck down previous maps, forcing lawmakers back to the drawing board amid mounting pressure from national party officials to deliver maps that can withstand legal scrutiny.

Democrats, for their part, are sounding alarms over what they describe as a coordinated campaign to entrench Republican power through manipulation of district boundaries. “This is not democracy — it’s distortion,” one Democratic strategist said. “Republicans are trying to lock in power before voters even get a chance to cast their ballots.”

Still, with court challenges pending and multiple states yet to finalize their maps, the national redistricting picture remains fluid. What is clear, however, is that both parties see the drawing of district lines as one of the most consequential battles of the coming election cycle — one that could determine control of Congress well beyond 2026.

As one North Carolina lawmaker put it: “Maps make majorities — and right now, both sides know it.”