(The Center Square) – Lawmakers have asked for dismissals, plaintiffs for an injunction, and three federal judges in Winston-Salem on Nov. 19 will have a hearing on a request for preliminary injunction against newly drawn congressional maps.
Dec. 1 is the beginning of the filing period for the 2026 midterms. North Carolina’s State Board of Elections has said it needs to know which map shall be used prior to that date.
As newly constructed, six counties go from the 3rd Congressional District to the 1st Congressional District. Four counties go from the 1st to the 3rd. In the reconstruction, Republicans said their hope was to gain another seat – they have 10 to Democrats’ four in the 119th Congress – in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Thursday’s order in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina from Chief Judge Richard Myers and Justices Allison Rushing and Thomas Schroeder lays out a schedule inclusive of defendants’ response to the injunction by Nov. 14; plaintiffs’ replies by Nov. 18; and preliminary injunction hearing Nov. 19 at 1 p.m.
With regard to the dismissal request, plaintiffs’ response is due by Nov. 21, and defendants’ replies by Nov. 28.
Discovery would begin Dec. 1; witness and exhibits lists due by April 17; pretrial briefs by May 6; and a trial date to be set by the court later.
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.
Differentiations because of court orders have been in each map used for four of the last five congressional elections – 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. The Legislature drew it in 2024.
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 likely be broken if this map survives litigations.
Gubernatorial veto is not possible on this legislation.
Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Craven, Pamlico and Carteret counties change from the 3rd to the 1st Congressional District; 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.
Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., is the third-term congressman from the 3rd Congressional District.
