Republican state lawmakers didn't break the law when they split up a heavily Black part of the state in redistricting, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

The judge, Republican appointee James Dever, shot down the racial gerrymandering claims brought by Black voters from Northeastern North Carolina. They claimed the maps were drawn to diminish Black political power, by splitting multiple small, rural and majority-Black counties between two districts — both of which favor Republicans — instead of combining them into a single district that would be more likely to elect a Democrat.

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The ruling is a loss for Democrats, who were hoping to have a more favorable map to run on in the 2026 midterms.

"BIG WIN!" Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger wrote on social media aft

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