On Wednesday, the Supreme Court invalidated Louisiana’s second predominantly Black congressional district, a ruling that could pave the way for Republican-majority states to dismantle districts favoring Black and Latino voters, potentially shifting the congressional power dynamics.
The court’s conservative majority ruled that the district, currently represented by Democrat Cleo Fields, was overly dependent on racial factors. Chief Justice John Roberts described the district as a “snake-like” formation, extending over 200 miles to connect areas such as Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge.
“The map constitutes an illegal gerrymander,” wrote Justice Samuel Alito on behalf of the six conservative justices.
This decision undermines key protections against discriminatory redistricting in the historic voting rights legislation. The future of Section 2, the primary legal tool against racially biased electoral practices, now hangs in uncertainty.
Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the court’s three liberal justices, expressed concern in her dissent. “The ramifications will be significant and severe. Today’s ruling effectively nullifies Section 2,” she lamented.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement, was instrumental in empowering Black Americans at the polls and combating ongoing electoral discrimination.
Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law expert Nicholas Stephanopoulos has estimated.
The court heard the case for a second time in October and it’s not clear whether the decision was issued early enough for some states, including Louisiana, to consider a new round of redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to preserve a thin majority.
President Donald Trump had already touched off a nationwide redistricting battle to boost Republican chances.
Legislatures already are free to draw extremely partisan districts because of a 2019 Supreme Court decision.
The court did an about-face from a decision in a similar case from Alabama less than three years ago that led to a new congressional map for the state that sent two Black Democrats to Congress.
The Alabama decision also prompted Louisiana lawmakers to add a second majority Black district. About a third of Louisianans are Black and they now form majorities in two of the state’s six congressional districts. Alabama has a separate appeal pending at the Supreme Court.
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