Overview
- Senators gave initial approval along party lines to rework two eastern districts in a bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Don Davis.
- Senate Bill 249 would shift Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Craven, Pamlico and Carteret counties into the 1st District while moving Wilson, Wayne, Greene and Lenoir into the 3rd, making the 1st more Republican as the 3rd remains favorable for GOP Rep. Greg Murphy.
- Following a procedural vote Tuesday, the measure is set to go to the House, where leaders forecast final passage this week under redistricting rules that prevent a gubernatorial veto.
- A raucous hearing paused briefly as protesters chanted “Racist maps,” with ACLU representatives and others warning the changes would erode voter power.
- Republican authors openly described the goal as securing an additional seat with support from President Trump, while Democrats and allies argued the plan dilutes Black voters’ influence and pledged to sue.