Louisiana approves new congressional map favouring Republicans after Supreme Court ruling

Louisiana lawmakers on Friday (May 29) approved a new congressional map aimed at strengthening Republican representation by potentially adding another GOP-held seat while reducing Democratic influence in the state’s majority-Black districts. The move comes one month after the Supreme Court invalidated Louisiana’s previous congressional map, ruling it an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The decision weakened protections under the 1965 Voting Rights Act and intensified a nationwide battle over redistricting ahead of the midterm elections. The newly approved map leaves Louisiana with one majority-Black congressional district represented by Democrats, instead of two under the previous court-ordered map.

Republicans had explored a plan that could have allowed the party to compete for all six of Louisiana’s House seats. However, party leaders concluded that a 5-1 Republican advantage offered a safer political strategy and better protection for House Speaker Mike Johnson’s reelection prospects. Republican Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the redistricting plan into law. Following the Supreme Court ruling, several Republican-led Southern states have moved quickly to redraw congressional boundaries, taking advantage of the reduced federal oversight under the Voting Rights Act.

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Republicans believe the latest redistricting efforts nationwide could help them gain up to 14 House seats. At the same time, Democrats estimate they may gain six seats through new district configurations in California and Utah. Louisiana’s previous congressional map, adopted in 2024 under court supervision, created a second majority-Black district to comply with Voting Rights Act requirements. That map gave Republicans four of the state’s six congressional seats. After legal challenges, the Supreme Court struck down the map on April 30, calling it an illegal racial gerrymander.

To allow lawmakers time to redraw district boundaries, Governor Landry postponed the state’s US House primary election, originally scheduled for May 16, until later in the summer. Under the new proposal, the district represented by Democratic Representative Cleo Fields would be significantly reshaped, incorporating more predominantly white communities around Baton Rouge and southern Louisiana. Meanwhile, Democratic Representative Troy Carter’s majority-Black New Orleans-based district would absorb additional portions of Baton Rouge.

The revised map is expected to face legal challenges from multiple groups. Democrats argue the new boundaries still amount to racial gerrymandering by concentrating Black voters into a single district. At the same time, plaintiffs who successfully challenged the previous map have criticized lawmakers for retaining any majority-Black district. Louisiana is not alone in pursuing redistricting changes.

In Florida, lawmakers approved new congressional boundaries shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, a move that could potentially deliver Republicans up to four additional House seats. Tennessee also adopted new congressional districts, restructuring a majority-Black district centered in Memphis in an effort to create another Republican-leaning seat.

In Alabama, Republicans are seeking to redraw two districts currently represented by Democrats and containing significant Black populations. The proposal remains tied up in court. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s Senate declined to pursue redistricting despite pressure from President Donald Trump. The ongoing redistricting battles across Southern states are expected to play a crucial role in determining control of the U.S. House of Representatives during the upcoming midterm elections.