Supreme Court Invalidates Louisiana Congressional Map, Triggers Redistricting in Southern States

U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a Louisiana congressional map that included two Democratic-leaning, majority-Black districts, weakening a key section of the Voting Rights Act concerning majority-minority districts. The ruling in Louisiana v.

Callais immediately reverberated across Southern states, where Republican officials moved to redraw maps for the 2026 midterm elections. 1(B) in response to the decision, paving the way for Republican Gov. Jeff Landry to sign an executive order encouraging the legislature to pass new congressional maps and schedule elections as soon as practical.

Louisiana announced the suspension of its May 16 House primaries the same day, with early voting set to begin May 2 and ballots already printed for other races like the Senate contest. The state's old congressional map, which favored Republicans in five districts and Democrats in one, may now revert as an option, according to Attorney General Liz Murrill, who described the change as a 'big lift' given the timing. S.

Census, and Democratic Rep. Troy Carter warned Wednesday that a new map could result in six congressional districts with no African-American or Democratic representation. 'We can realistically end up having six congressional districts with no African-American, or Democratic representation, it's very possible, given what we've seen happen across this country,' Carter said.

President Trump thanked Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday for moving quickly to redraw the lines after the high court's decision. The ruling's implications extended to Florida, where the state legislature passed a proposed congressional map on Wednesday that awaits signature from Republican Gov.

Ron DeSantis. The map aims to add four Republican-leaning seats by eliminating or shrinking Democratic-leaning districts in Tampa, Orlando, and parts of the southeast coast, with DeSantis' counsel arguing it frees the state from racial requirements in its 'Fair Districts' Amendments. In Tennessee, Republican Gov.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn to reconvene and redraw lines for the 2026 election, proposing a map that could yield a nine-Republican to zero-Democrat split by breaking up the 9th District encompassing majority-Black Memphis.

State Rep. Johnny Garrett supported the proposal, writing that Tennessee should back President Trump's agenda by targeting the district held by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen. Tennessee's congressional primaries are scheduled for Aug.

6, but the candidate qualifying deadline passed in March, creating timeline challenges similar to those in other states. President Trump stated Thursday that he called Gov. Lee and was told Lee would work hard to correct the 'unconstitutional flaw' in the maps, adding that the redistricting should give Republicans one extra seat.

On Sunday, Trump posted on social media encouraging redistricting nationwide, stating his party could gain 20 seats in the House. 'We should demand that State Legislatures do what the Supreme Court says must be done,' Trump said.

Tate Reeves announced a redistricting session 21 days after the Louisiana ruling, set for May 20, initially focused on state Supreme Court districts but potentially extending to congressional lines. The session could target the majority-Black 2nd Congressional District held by Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, adding one GOP-leaning seat, though Mississippi's primaries already occurred in March.

Reeves wrote on X Wednesday, 'First Dobbs. Now Callais. Republican state officials like Auditor Shad White and state Sen. Kevin Blackwell echoed calls to erase Thompson's district. Alabama faced similar pressures, building on its own history with the Voting Rights Act.

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Allen v. Milligan that Alabama's GOP-supported map violated Section 2, ordering a redraw to include a second Black-majority seat. A federal three-judge panel later found the resulting map, drawn by a court-appointed expert in late 2023, still violated the Act and the 14th Amendment, ordering use of a court-selected map with a second district of substantial Black voters until after the 2030 Census.

Alabama is appealing that decision, with Attorney General Steve Marshall asking the Supreme Court on Thursday to expedite consideration in light of the Louisiana ruling. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey stated Thursday that Alabama is not positioned for a full special session now but hopes the court will be favorable; by Friday, she called lawmakers back starting Monday to prepare contingency plans for special primaries if districts are redrawn.

Alabama's primaries are set for May 19, with the filing deadline in January already passed, and the state currently has two predominantly Black districts—the 2nd and 7th—both held by Democrats, up from one previously. The seven-member delegation now includes two Democrats, and legislative leaders said the session would give the state a 'fighting chance' for seven Republicans.

Broader context includes federal judges' prior orders in Alabama and the Purcell principle, which cautions against election changes too close to voting.

In 2022, Tennessee's Supreme Court blocked additional redistricting due to proximity to elections, a precedent Democrats cited as hope against last-minute shifts. Lawmakers, commissions, or courts have adopted new House districts in eight states amid the ongoing national redistricting battle, with South Carolina's governor suggesting reconsideration of its map and Georgia facing calls from GOP activists, though no immediate actions were detailed.