Federal Judges Uphold North Carolina Map as Democrats Lose Key Challenge

A federal three-judge panel in North Carolina ruled Wednesday that the state’s new redistricting maps will stand, rejecting a challenge brought by plaintiffs who alleged racial discrimination in the 2025 redistricting process.

The decision comes as multiple states pursue new congressional maps ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

BREAKING: North Carolina can use GOP-drawn congressional map designed to add another Republican House seat, court rules – NBC

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 27, 2025

In a 57-page ruling, the panel found that the plaintiffs did not demonstrate that lawmakers acted with discriminatory intent when enacting Senate Bill 249.

“Though not fatal to their claim…Williams Plaintiffs have presented no direct evidence that the General Assembly enacted S.B. 249 to discriminate against black North Carolinians,” the judges wrote.

“Instead, the direct evidence shows that the 2025 redistricting was motivated by partisan purposes.”

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

The judges reiterated that the record failed to show discriminatory actions in the drawing of the new districts.

The ruling leaves the map in place as the state prepares for the 2025 election cycle.

Following the decision, statements circulated from parties involved in the litigation addressing the ruling and its implications for the eastern region of the state.

“Although the court’s decision keeps North Carolina at the center of this national mid-decade redistricting battle, we will continue to show eastern North Carolina families why they matter most,” one statement read.

“We will not let these blatant power grabs silence the voices of eastern North Carolinians.”

Our Statement on the North Carolina Redistricting Ruling: pic.twitter.com/c4eKGXRXqU

— Don Davis (@DonDavisNC) November 27, 2025

Under the new map, Republicans are positioned to gain additional congressional seats in the upcoming midterm elections.

🚨Good News: 3-judge panel in the North Carolina redistricting cases has rejected the requests to block the new congressional map pic.twitter.com/Bel86I7ZgI

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) November 26, 2025

North Carolina’s redistricting cycle has drawn national attention, both for its timing and its potential impact on the balance of power in Washington.

Similar developments are unfolding in other states. In California, voters passed Proposition 50, a measure designed to alter the state’s congressional boundaries.

Early reviews indicate that the measure is expected to increase Democratic representation in the U.S. House.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber, alleging that the state’s proposed congressional map mandates racially gerrymandered districts.

The complaint asserts that the plan violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The case is ongoing, and federal courts have not yet ruled on the validity of the challenged districts.

President Donald Trump has publicly urged several states to proceed with new maps ahead of the coming election year.

North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas were specifically mentioned in his recent statements encouraging states to enact new congressional boundaries.

Missouri completed a redistricting process earlier this year and is expected to gain an additional seat, though that map is currently under federal judicial review.

Trump also addressed redistricting efforts in Indiana, warning that he would support primary challenges against any Republican lawmakers who refused to pursue a new congressional map in that state.

Indiana officials have not announced final decisions regarding whether they will revise their current boundaries.

Mid-decade redistricting efforts are expected to continue into 2025 as states reassess population distributions, legal requirements, and political considerations ahead of next year’s national elections.

Federal and state courts remain involved in several ongoing challenges that could still affect maps before candidate filing deadlines begin.