(The Center Square) – In a chamber stacked against him, North Carolina’s representative for the northeastern part of the state is pushing a bill to retain consistent map boundaries – and possibly his seat in Congress with it.
Restoring Electoral Stability to Enhance Trust Act of 2025, or the RESET Act, is a proposal in part to bring an end to the growing number of congressional map redraws across the country midway through the decennial process. U.S. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., is among the victims, his 1st Congressional District getting changed last week by the North Carolina General Assembly in a move proponents say is merely to get another Republican among the 14 the state sends to the House of Representatives.
Davis filed his bill Tuesday afternoon, the text of which was provided to The Center Square.
The House majority is Republicans 219-213 with three vacancies, meaning party line votes as is often the case on election issues would be an uphill battle. Second-term Republican President Donald Trump has pushed for map redraws that could potentially help his agenda with the party keeping majority in the chamber.
Historical pattern yields loss of seats for the party in the White House at midterms. The magic number is 218 in the House. In the Senate, Republicans have 53 seats, Democrats 45 and two are independent caucusing with Democrats while a 60-vote minimum is in place for filibusters.
“While families across America are struggling to get by due to costs and slow job growth, politicians are choosing power over people,” Davis said in a statement. “The only solution to prevent this ongoing domino-redistricting effect and power struggle between different states is to immediately hit reset. We must work to restore electoral stability to enhance trust.”
Redistricting happens after decennial census numbers determine apportionment to the House. In North Carolina, litigation interrupted the constitutionally mandated drawing of maps by the Legislature for elections in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. Pending lawsuits in progress, the 2026 midterms would be the sixth different congressional map in as many elections.
Davis’ proposal would be retroactive to 2020 and stop state-initiated mid-decade redistricting with some exceptions, such as mandates from state’s independent redistricting commissions, court orders, and state referenda.
In Realign Congressional Districts 2025, known also as Senate Bill 249, 12 districts remain unchanged from 2024 and two are reshaped to strengthen Republicans’ chance to win in the northeastern part of the state for an 11-3 representation at the U.S. House of Representatives.
The last time the U.S. House representative in the northeastern part of the state was won by a Republican was 1882, a streak voting trends indicate would be broken if this map survives potential litigations.
Gubernatorial veto is not possible on this legislation.
Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Craven, Pamlico and Carteret counties change from the 3rd to the 1st; Wilson, Wayne, Greene and Lenoir counties change from the 1st to the 3rd. The only district of 14 with closer than 13% difference in 2024 was a win by Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., in the 1st District.
Govs. Mike Kehoe of Missouri and Greg Abbott of Texas have already signed new maps into law; Utah’s legislative passage is awaiting judicial approval. California voters decide next month on Proposition 50, the November ballot measure that could replace the state’s independent commission-drawn congressional district maps.
There is also some level of engagement about congressional redistricting happening in Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland and New York.
