Louisiana Redraws House Map, Eliminates Black District on May 30

Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a new congressional map on Friday that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts. The state Senate voted 28-10 to approve the map, which is expected to shift Louisiana’s House delegation from 4-2 Republican to 5-1 Republican. The move comes after a Supreme Court ruling in late April struck down Louisiana’s previous map as an illegal racial gerrymander and weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

How the New Map Changes Louisiana’s Districts

The new map redraws Louisiana’s sixth congressional district, currently held by Democrat Cleo Fields, a Black representative. Under the new lines, Republicans gain a fifth seat while Democrats retain only one House seat from Louisiana. The map consolidates Black voters into a single district that stretches from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Louisiana’s population is about one-third Black, but under the new map, Black voters will hold only one of six seats, or 16 percent of representation.

Supreme Court Ruling Opened the Door

In late April, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais that the state’s previous map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The decision weakened Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by setting a near-impossible standard requiring plaintiffs to prove intentional discrimination to win redistricting cases. Republican Governor Jeff Landry declared an emergency and delayed the state’s primary elections to allow lawmakers time to redraw the map. The redistricting battle extends across multiple states as Republicans and Democrats fight for control of the House.

Republicans Defend the Map as Partisan, Not Racial

Republican state Senator Jay Morris, who authored the bill, argued that party affiliation, not race, drove the district boundaries. Morris stated he deliberately placed more Democrats into District 2 to strengthen Republican performance in other districts. Republican state Representative Beau Beaullieu said lawmakers focused on Democrat voter numbers, not racial numbers. However, Democrats protested that the map is racially gerrymandered because partisanship and race are closely linked in the South, and the map reduces Black representation by half.

Part of Trump’s Broader Redistricting Push

Louisiana is one of several Southern states redrawing maps to help Republicans protect their razor-thin House majority in the 2026 midterms. President Trump called for mid-decade redistricting last year. Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama have also redrawn or attempted to redraw their maps. The Cook Political Report tracks these mid-decade redistricting efforts. Democratic voting rights advocates warn the changes will drastically reduce Black representation in Congress.

Final Thoughts

Louisiana’s new map shifts House power to Republicans while cutting Black representation in half. The move reflects a national pattern of mid-decade redistricting fueled by a weakened Voting Rights Act, likely to face legal challenges before November’s elections.

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