'RIP free and fair elections': Critics aghast as another red state OKs election-rigging

Republicans in North Carolina have passed a new congressional map that eliminates the one genuinely competitive district in the state and makes it likely the GOP will gain an extra seat in next year’s midterm elections.

As reported by local news station WRAL, the new map passed on a party-line vote in the North Carolina House of Representatives on Wednesday and will now become law, as Democratic North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is not allowed under state law to veto redistricting legislation.

The North Carolina Democratic Party lashed out at state Republicans for ramming through the new map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“RIP to free and fair elections in North Carolina,” the party said in a social media post. “Republicans just passed rigged maps to keep power—turning our 50/50 state into an 11-3 Republican advantage at [President Donald] Trump’s request. They know they can’t win fair and square, so they rig the maps. This fight isn’t over. We’ll organize, we’ll mobilize, and we’ll take it back at the ballot box.”

US Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), whose seat is being targeted by the GOP redistricting plan, noted in a statement that voters in his district last year voted for both him and Trump, and he argued that “not a single” one of them had ever demanded “a new congressional map redrawing eastern North Carolina.”

Republicans in the Tar Heel State redrew their congressional map as part of an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting campaign being pushed by Trump to help Republicans maintain their razor-thin majority in the House next year. In addition to North Carolina, both Texas and Missouri have also heeded Trump’s call to redraw their maps to boost their party’s chances.

However, not every North Carolina Republican is on board with the scheme, as Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on Wednesday told Spectrum News' Reuben Jones that he supported having independent redistricting panels, and warned his party that their scheme could have unintended consequences.

“You need to be careful,” said Tillis, who is not seeking reelection. “North Carolina is a purple state... if you go a little bit further, you could get surprised in an election cycle, and [it will] not go your way. So just be careful what you wish for!”

As things stand now, Republicans currently have 10 of North Carolina’s 14 congressional seats, and under the new map, that is projected to increase to 11 seats.