Louisiana lawmakers have approved a new congressional map that could give Republicans a chance to flip one of the state’s two Democratic-held House seats in the 2026 midterms.
Senate Approves Controversial Map
The Louisiana Senate gave final approval to the map on Friday, despite strong opposition from Democrats. State Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat, criticized the process, saying it felt like “quicksand” because the map is flawed and likely to face legal challenges.
State Sen. Jay Morris, a Republican, defended the map, saying it meets traditional redistricting standards, is not racially gerrymandered, and fairly represents all regions of the state.
Supreme Court Decision Sparks Redistricting
The new map comes after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s previous map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The ruling affected Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and triggered a mid-decade redistricting effort in Louisiana and other states, which Democrats say could reduce the number of Black representatives in Congress.
Democratic Concerns Over Majority-Black Districts
During floor debate, several Democratic lawmakers criticized the map for eliminating one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black districts. State Rep. Kyle Green, a Democrat and member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, said ignoring race in the map “requires forgetting a quantity of history” and could harm Black representation.
Republican Defense of the Map
State Rep. Beau Beaullieu, a Republican and sponsor of the amended map, argued that legislators had to redraw the districts because of the Supreme Court ruling. He said the map is contiguous, compact, protects communities of interest, and safeguards incumbents. Beaullieu added that race was not considered in drawing the new districts and that the map also maximizes partisan advantage.
