Supreme Court ruling sparks new redistricting push in several states
A U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana has intensified a national battle over redistricting, Republican officials and court filings say. Governors in Alabama and Tennessee announced special legislative sessions this week to consider new U.S. House maps, and Louisiana has suspended its congressional primary while lawmakers weigh new districts.
In Louisiana, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry moved to postpone the May 16 congressional primary, and multiple lawsuits have been filed seeking to block his order, according to court records and plaintiffs’ filings. A three-judge federal panel also issued an order Thursday suspending the congressional primary, and Republican state House and Senate leaders said they are prepared to pass new U.S. House districts and set a new primary date before their legislative session ends, the leaders said.
Alabama officials filed an emergency motion with the Supreme Court seeking expedited review of an appeal in a redistricting case, the state said. The state’s primaries are set for May 19. A 2023 federal court order created a near majority-Black district in Alabama, and the state is appealing, arguing the map is an illegal racial gerrymander, according to court filings. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said the special session will focus on contingency plans to hold special primary elections if the Supreme Court allows previously drawn districts to be used this year.
Florida’s Republican-led Legislature approved new U.S. House districts hours after the Supreme Court ruling, and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who called a special session earlier, said the new map addresses districts drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act. Supporters say the map could help the GOP win additional seats in November, the Legislature said. In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced a special session after a campaign by President Donald Trump and other Republicans to reconfigure the state’s 9th Congressional District; Lee said in a statement the session is needed to ensure districts “accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters.” Democratic State Sen. Ramesh Akbari said at a Memphis news conference that the effort undermines democracy.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said he would call a special session roughly 21 days after the Supreme Court ruling to redraw voting districts for the state Supreme Court, citing a federal judge’s order that the current maps dilute Black voters’ power. In Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said it is too late to change congressional districts this year because early voting began April 27 and the primary is May 19, but he said the Supreme Court’s rationale requires new maps before the 2028 cycle, Kemp said.
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