CBS17 reported Thursday that state Senate GOP Leader Phil Berger would accept an endorsement from President Donald Trump, and in return, get in on the national redistricting wars by redrawing the 1st Congressional District to be more favorable to Republicans. Carolina Forward, a liberal advocacy group, had posted something similar on X earlier in the day.
The Assembly reached out to Berger’s office and political advisers, who either didn’t respond or said they didn’t know anything about it. Multiple GOP senators said they had not been told of any plans to return to Raleigh to redraw congressional boundaries.
Berger—who is facing a primary challenge in 2026—responded on X to Carolina Forward’s post, writing, “If we have to draw one more map this year, we will. That said, I’ve never spoken to President Trump about this or an endorsement. The Democrats are spreading lies to hurt President Trump.”
As we’ve reported, North Carolina Republicans have a 10-4 advantage in the U.S. House delegation, with one of the four Democratic seats a tossup—the 1st Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Don Davis. By redrawing Davis’ district, Republicans would risk opening themselves to racial gerrymandering claims and a costly legal battle.
One Redistricting Battle After Another
