Washington, D.C. — Today, WNCN reported that Republican North Carolina State Senator Phil Berger is expected to accept an endorsement from President Donald Trump in his 2026 primary challenge in exchange for redrawing the Tar Heel State’s already gerrymandered congressional map. This builds on a pattern of unabashedly corrupt tactics deployed by the Trump White House in an effort to convince Republicans in red states to ignore opposition from their own constituents and draw even more egregious gerrymanders.

“If this report is true, Senator Berger has sold out the voting rights of millions of North Carolinians in exchange for a personal political endorsement from Donald Trump. This is not just a direct betrayal of the voters he is sworn to represent; this is an outrageous quid pro quo that seeks to silence voters,” said John Bisognano, President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC). “After stripping health care from millions and giving massive tax cuts to the rich, Donald Trump’s desperate and corrupt campaign has escalated further to insulate himself from accountability. And North Carolina Republicans are beginning to accept endorsements and buyouts in exchange for drawing a gerrymander on top of a gerrymander. North Carolinians deserve better than this; they deserve leaders who represent their interests and fair maps that ensure their voices are heard and their votes count.”

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