RALEIGH, North Carolina — A federal court has ruled that North Carolina may use its newly drawn Republican congressional map in next year’s midterm elections, rejecting lawsuits that argued the plan diluted Black voting power in violation of the 14th Amendment. The three-judge panel in the Middle District of North Carolina unanimously denied requests for an injunction, concluding that challengers offered no “direct evidence” of racial intent and that the Legislature acted for partisan reasons, which the Supreme Court has ruled is permissible.
The map, approved last month by the GOP-controlled Legislature, is designed to strengthen Republicans’ advantage by targeting multiple districts, including the 1st Congressional District held by Democrat Don Davis. The district, which President Trump narrowly carried in 2024, is among the GOP’s primary flip targets as it works to defend a narrow House majority.
Democrats and voting-rights groups argued that the map retaliates against voters in eastern North Carolina and suppresses political expression, but the panel rejected those claims as well. Common Cause North Carolina, one of the plaintiffs, called the ruling a “blessing” for what it described as the most gerrymandered map in the state’s history.
The decision comes as several states engage in mid-decade redistricting battles, with Trump urging Republican legislatures nationwide to redraw political lines ahead of the 2026 midterms. GOP-led states like Texas and Missouri have approved new maps, while Democratic-led California is pursuing its own revisions.
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