Supreme Court Decision Could Spur More House Map Changes
May 5, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Louisiana v. Callais last week and held that Louisiana’s congressional district map created an “unconstitutional racial gerrymander.”
Why it matters: The decision calls into question a number of congressional districts that had been designed to comply with Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The provision has been interpreted to support racial minority-majority congressional districts as a practice to guard against vote dilution through gerrymanders, often in southern states.
Go deeper: The decision has set off a flurry of redistricting talk in states with minority-majority districts. While state law and political dynamics may prevent redistricting this cycle, legislatures might act before 2028.
- Louisiana: The state has suspended its May 16 House primary and will attempt to flip one of the two Democratic held seats.
- Alabama: The Governor called a special session to eliminate one of the two Democratic seats.
- Tennessee: Although state law prohibits midcycle redistricting, the Governor called a special session to try and eliminate the single Democratic seat.
- South Carolina: The Governor has not yet called for action to eliminate the lone Democratic seat.
Yes, but: Some Democrats have started to threaten revision in deep blue states, including California and Illinois, to break up minority-majority districts and eliminate most, if not all, GOP-held seats.
Contact David McCarthy (dmccarthy@crefc.org) with questions.