North Carolina 2023 State Senate Map Challenge

Lawsuit filed on behalf of two Black voters challenging North Carolina’s Republican-drawn state Senate map. The plaintiffs allege that the map dilutes the voting power of Black voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The complaint alleges that the districts “crack Black voters in the Black Belt counties in northeastern North Carolina, resulting in the dilution of their electoral strength.” The plaintiffs request that the court strike down the map and order the adoption of a map that includes a minority-opportunity district in northeastern North Carolina. On Jan. 26, 2024, the court denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction. The plaintiffs appealed to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the denial of the motion for a preliminary injunction on March 28, 2024. On April 11, 2024, the plaintiffs filed a petition to have the appeal reheard en banc. On June 18, 2024, the court denied the plaintiffs’ petition.

STATUS: On Sept. 30, 2025, the district court upheld the 2023 Republican-drawn state Senate map finding that plaintiffs failed to prove their claim that the map dilutes voting powers of Black voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. On Oct. 1, 2025, plaintiffs appealed this decision.

Last updated: October 1, 2025 5:11 pm EST