The Supreme Court on Wednesday released an opinion striking down a set of Louisiana congressional district maps that added a second majority black district.In 2022, Louisiana redrew its congressional district maps, which a court later ruled likely violated the Voting Rights Act because they did not include a second majority black district. The state then created a new set of maps with an explicit racial consideration to create a second black majority district, which the Court on Wednesday found was unconstitutional.
“Because the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the State’s use of race in creating SB8, and that map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander,” wrote Justice Samuel Alito.
“The State’s attempt to satisfy the Middle District’s ruling, although understandable, was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, and we therefore affirm the decision below,” Alito wrote.
The ruling is likely to trigger a series of map redraws, especially across the South, where a number of majority black congressional districts may soon be drawn out.
Such a sweep could net Republicans several districts in the battle for the House in 2026.
Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.
