Louisiana lawmakers pass congressional map favouring Republicans

Louisiana lawmakers approved a new congressional map on Friday that eliminates one of the state's two majority-Black districts, a move designed to help Republicans secure a fifth seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 28-to-10 vote in the state Senate follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April that struck down the previous map as an illegal racial gerrymander. Republican Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the legislation, which shifts voters from Baton Rouge into a majority-Black district in New Orleans and clusters white voters into a district currently held by Democratic Representative Cleo Fields. The measure has drawn immediate threats of litigation from Democrats and the American Civil Liberties Union, who argue the map constitutes a racial gerrymander.

The redistricting effort intensifies a national battle over the 2026 midterm elections, as Republican-controlled states across the South seize on the weakened federal Voting Rights Act to redraw boundaries. The Supreme Court decision in the case Louisiana v. Callais removed a key legal barrier to diluting minority voting strength, prompting the state legislature to prioritize partisan gains over compliance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act. While Republicans aim to secure up to 15 additional seats nationwide through these efforts, the new Louisiana map faces legal challenges from civil rights groups and the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case. The state’s primary election date was moved from May to November to accommodate the legislative process, with all candidates now eligible to appear on the open ballot.