Supreme Court Rules 6-3 Against Louisiana Congressional Map

The Supreme Court of the United States issued a 6-3 decision on April 29, 2026, striking down Louisiana's congressional map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Justice Samuel Alito authored the majority opinion in the decision. The Supreme Court ruled that states violate the Voting Rights Act only when evidence supports a strong inference of intentional discrimination based on race.

The decision weakened protections under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Louisiana's congressional map was drawn after the 2020 census. The map included only one majority-Black district out of six districts.

More than a third of Louisiana's voting age population is Black. Lower courts ordered Louisiana to add a second majority-Black district. The Supreme Court ruled that the addition of a second majority-Black district in Louisiana infringed on white voters' rights under the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.

“That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander, and its use would violate the plaintiffs' constitutional rights," Justice Alito wrote for the majority. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the dissent in the Supreme Court decision. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined Justice Elena Kagan's dissent. Justice Elena Kagan read her dissent aloud from the bench.”

“If other states follow Louisiana's lead, the minority citizens residing there will no longer have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice," Kagan wrote. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits election practices that dilute the influence of racial minority voters, without requiring proof of intent to discriminate. The White House issued a statement celebrating the Supreme Court decision as a complete and total victory for American voters.”

“The color of one's skin should not dictate which congressional district you belong in. We commend the court for putting an end to the unconstitutional abuse of the Voting Rights Act and protecting civil rights," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. The NAACP issued a statement calling the Supreme Court ruling a devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act.”

“The Supreme Court betrayed Black voters, they betrayed America, and they betrayed our democracy," NAACP President Derrick Johnson said. More than a dozen states, mostly in the South, have court-ordered majority-minority congressional districts. The ruling reverses lower court decisions that found Louisiana's map violated the Voting Rights Act by providing only one majority-Black district despite the state's demographics. The decision sets a tougher standard for proving discrimination under Section 2, requiring plaintiffs to show that race, not politics, drove district lines and to provide evidence of intentional discrimination. The court noted that historic racial inequities carry less weight compared to current data on intentional discrimination. Civil rights advocates stated the ruling could lead to reduced minority representation in Congress, particularly in Southern states. The decision applies directly to Louisiana but may influence redistricting challenges in other states ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.”