Trump’s gerrymandering battle has gained steam in states like North Carolina, where top state Republicans forged ahead with crafting congressional maps that would give the GOP an edge in Congress.
North Carolina Republicans have been happy to oblige, garnering praise from Trump as the latest congressional maps further erode fair representation for North Carolina voters.
Leading this effort is Republican Senate leader Phil Berger, who has a long history of corruption and unethical conduct. In recent months alone, Berger has been linked to a string of controversial legislative policies, from stalling on hurricane relief, the infamous “Shrimpgate”, and now the latest battle over North Carolina’s congressional maps.
Back in September, WCNC reported that Berger was expected to accept an endorsement from Trump in his 2026 primary challenge in exchange for redrawing the state’s already gerrymandered maps. Berger later denied the news report, however, days later, Republican lawmakers unveiled a redistricting proposal that targeted the state’s 1st Congressional District.
Berger quickly thanked and reposted Trump’s endorsement of the newly proposed map, underscoring the state GOP’s alignment with Trump’s strategy to “secure a MAGA majority” ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
This is not the first time Berger has used his position and power to benefit himself.
Berger’s Recent Legislative Agenda
Berger was tied to another controversial legislation this year, known as “Shrimpgate”. During the latest legislative session, Republican lawmakers quietly inserted a ban on inshore shrimp trawling into House Bill 442 without public notice. The bill passed swiftly in the state Senate, sparking backlash from coastal communities and commercial shrimpers who rallied to oppose the bill, stating it would decimate their industry.
“Without the shrimp trawl, many of our fish houses are going to close. People are going to lose jobs. It’s going to decimate our fishing industry,” stated Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck. “This ban affects many of the poorest counties in the state.”
The pattern of politically motivated decisions isn’t limited to impacting the Eastern parts of our state. Western North Carolinians waited for months for adequate hurricane relief, as state Senate Republicans, led by Berger, stalled on an additional $500 million Hurricane Helene relief package during the summer session.
The bill would deliver funding to agriculture programs, business recovery grants, and bridge and road repairs, but it had remained stalled in the Senate. State Democrats and Gov. Stein put pressure on Berger and his colleagues to agree to Hurricane Helene recovery money. The additional relief eventually got approval ahead of the summer break.
“We’re proud of what we accomplished by staying united and standing up for the people of western North Carolina,” stated Senate Democratic leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake. “It shouldn’t take a cattle prod to do what’s right.”
Profiting off Of Power
In 2020, Berger allegedly transferred $73,5000 of campaign funds to himself for mortgage payments on a townhouse he co-owned with his wife, according to an official complaint filed with the NCGA’s Legislative Ethics Commission.
Berger allegedly “created a property management company and used campaign funds to pay ‘rent’ to the company, which ultimately paid the mortgage on the townhouse”.
The same townhouse was then sold to a well-connected lobbyist for an $80,000 profit, according to The News & Observer.
“He’s the most powerful legislator in the state, if not the most powerful politician,” stated Bob Hall, long-time state government watchdog and former political journalist, back in 2020. “He’s setting an example, and it’s a bad one. He needs to be stopped.”
A few years later, Berger was tied to a controversial casino legislation. The legislation aimed to bring casinos to the state, including to Berger’s home county, to counter a gambling complex that had opened across the border in Danville, Virginia.
The initial legislation Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore discussed with state reporters would have brought casinos to three lower-income counties. However, before any talks of the legislation became public, the casino developer, Cordish Companies of Baltimore, attempted to get local government support.
In addition, the casino developer hired top North Carolina lobbyists and spread campaign funds to Republican lawmakers to improve its chances of sealing a deal. According to the News & Observer, Cordish also received help from a former top aide to Phil Berger.
The casino push ultimately failed; however, it left a mark on North Carolinians, as Berger and state Republican legislators attempted to hold the passage of Medicaid expansion hostage by pairing it with legalizing casinos in a bill.
“The Republican supermajority is breaking their promise to expand Medicaid and instead are using it to extort a shady, sole source casino deal that many of their own members find suspicious,” then Governor Roy Cooper wrote in a statement in 2023.
After nearly 20 years in office, Berger continues to prioritize political games over the needs of North Carolinians.
His record reflects a pattern of self-serving decisions that harm working North Carolinians across the state.
And in his latest pursuit to re-erect a modern-day voter suppression effort, Berger is once again showing that he is willing to use his political power to undermine the foundations of our democracy and deepen the harm to already marginalized communities across North Carolina.
While Berger and his colleagues advance their controversial redistricting plan, North Carolinians across the state still have the opportunity to make their voices heard. Call your local representative and tell them to vote against redistricting.
North Carolina General Assembly Switchboard: (919) 733-4111
For state House Members: Search Here
