What to know about NC Republicans’ effort to flip a U.S. House seat through redistricting – WRAL News

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What to know about NC Republicans’ effort to flip a U.S. House seat through redistricting

North Carolina Republicans are preparing to redraw the state’s congressional districts in an effort to help the GOP protect its control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.

Posted 4:24 p.m. Oct 17,  Updated 2:15 p.m. Today

By Will Doran and  Paul Specht, WRAL News

North Carolina Republicans are forging ahead with plans to redraw the state’s congressional districts further in their favor as President Donald Trump urges a nationwide gerrymandering effort to help the GOP maintain control of Congress in 2026.

The North Carolina redistricting process kicks off Monday with state House and Senate committees meeting to discuss a newly proposed map of the districts. Lawmakers could vote to approve the map as early as Tuesday, the same day Democrats are planning a large protest in downtown Raleigh around the legislative building.

The proposed map would give the GOP an edge in a northeastern North Carolina district that has been represented by Democrats for decades. If approved, the districts would likely be challenged in court.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening and why.

What are congressional districts, and how are they determined?

Each of the 50 states is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives, in different amounts. The seats are allocated based on population: The more people in a state, the more representatives that state gets in the 435-seat House.

North Carolina has the 10th-biggest population in the country and has 14 seats in the House.

The seats are divvied up every ten years. Each state is responsible for creating a map that features the appropriate number of districts, each with roughly the same number of people.

The redistricting process varies by state. Some states appoint political commissions to tackle redistricting. Some also design those commissions to be politically neutral. But in most states, including North Carolina, state legislators draw the maps themselves — and often to give their own party a built-in advantage, using past election results and other data, a process known as gerrymandering.

Why are lawmakers redrawing congressional districts now?

The president’s party typically loses seats in Congress in midterm elections, and that trend appeared likely to continue next year since Trump’s polling numbers have been falling in recent months.

Trump, a Republican, wants the GOP to maintain control of the U.S. House to ensure that his legislative priorities are accomplished. Republicans control the chamber by only a slim margin currently — 218 seats are needed for a majority, and the GOP has 219.

Republican state leaders across the country have jumped into action to redraw their congressional maps ahead of 2026, hoping that a new round of gerrymandering will be enough to maintain that majority and stomp out growing popular support for Democrats.

Continue/Read Original Article: https://www.wral.com/story/what-to-know-about-nc-republicans-effort-to-flip-a-u-s-house-seat-through-redistricting/22203613/

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