(MENAFN) A federal panel of judges on Wednesday ruled that North Carolina may employ its newly-drawn congressional map in next year’s midterm elections. The US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina unanimously approved the map, which could potentially give Republicans an additional seat in the House of Representatives. Each seat is vital as the party currently holds a narrow six-seat majority in the chamber.

The ruling could still be appealed, but multiple other challenges over congressional maps are pending in federal courts and before the Supreme Court.

Critics of the redrawn map argue that it discriminates against minority communities, while supporters, including President Donald Trump, have encouraged Republican-led states to revise maps to boost party representation. A panel of federal judges, composed of Republican appointees, said opponents “have not made clear” whether the map would “minimize or cancel out the voting potential of black North Carolinians” and found “no reason to believe that the speed of the 2025 process indicates an intent to discriminate on the basis of race.”

Similar legal battles are ongoing in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and North Dakota. California recently approved a new Democratic-leaning map for the 2026 midterms, potentially adding five House seats, though lawsuits have been filed challenging it as racially biased.

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