RALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly is about to redraw the state’s congressional districts for the 2026 elections. It will be the fourth-such map employed this decade — and a terrible idea.

Lawmakers aren’t responding to new census data or a court order. As is patently obvious, they are responding to pressure from President Donald Trump. He wants as many Republican-controlled legislatures as possible to redistrict their states in an attempt to keep Democrats from winning a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives next year.

When announcing their redistricting session, GOP leaders cited as justification a scheme by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to impose a new map that would likely add more Democrats to his state’s House delegation. Newsom is, indeed, brazenly attempting to

See Full Page