Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina plan to consider a new congressional map next week, amid pressure from President Donald Trump to bolster the GOP’s chances of maintaining its House majority next year.
It’s the latest front in an ongoing national battle over mid-decade redistricting. Texas and Missouri Republicans have approved new maps that could collectively help their party pick up as many as six additional House seats, provided the efforts withstand legal and other challenges. Democrats in California responded to Texas’ move by redrawing their state’s map in a quest to win five additional seats, though voters would need to approve that plan via a November ballot measure before it can be implemented.
“President Trump earned a clear mandate from the voters of North Carolina and the rest of the country, and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican Congressional seat,’’ North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said in a joint statement with Senate leader Phil Berger.
