(The Center Square) – Proposals for new congressional maps will be led in the North Carolina House of Representatives by Republicans Brenden Jones of Columbus County and Hugh Blackwell of Burke County.
Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, set the remainder of the 15-member team – nine Republicans, six Democrats – on Wednesday ahead of next week’s return to Raleigh by the General Assembly. Hall and Sen. Phil Berger, president pro tempore of the upper chamber since 2010, earlier this week said they would consider new maps to fight the redistricting efforts of California that threatens to change the majority of the U.S. House of Representatives.
North Carolina’s delegation to the chamber is 10-4 Republicans. In 2024, only one of the races was closer than 13%.
Jones and Blackwell are co-chairmen. They’re joined by Reps. Allen Chesser, R-Nash; Jimmy Dixon, R-Wayne; Brian Echevarria, R-Cabarrus; Chris Humphrey, R-Lenoir; Neal Jackson, R-Moore; Heather Rhyne, R-Lincoln; Carson Smith, R-Pender; Cynthia Ball, D-Wake; Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg; Aisha Dew, D-Mecklenburg; Dr. Frances Jackson, D-Cumberland; Robert Reives, D-Chatham; and Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe.
In addition to North Carolina and California, some level of engagement about congressional redistricting is happening in Texas, Missouri, Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland and New York. Govs. Mike Kehoe of Missouri and Greg Abbott of Texas have already signed new maps into law.
In the U.S. House, there are 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats and three vacancies.
