Federal judges have recently thrown out a congressional election map giving Louisiana a second mostly Black district and have ordered the state Legislature to pass a new map by June 3 or face having one imposed by the panel. The judges cited violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment due to race being the predominant factor in the creation of the newest map. The decision could potentially impact the makeup of the next U.S. Congress, as a new mostly Black district would give Democrats the opportunity to capture another House seat. State lawmakers have until June 3 to come up with a new plan while the judges begin work on a remedial plan.
This decision is the latest development in a court battle that has taken place in two federal court districts and an appeals court. The state currently has five white Republican U.S. House members and one Black member who is a Democrat, all elected under a map drawn up in 2022. A federal judge in Baton Rouge previously blocked the use of this map, deeming it likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act by dividing the state’s Black residents among five districts. Lawmakers responded with a map creating a new district crossing the state diagonally and linking Black populations from different regions, but this was also challenged in court by non-African American voters who argued it was unconstitutionally drawn with race as the main factor.
The panel of federal judges, including U.S. District Judges David Joseph and Robert Summerhays, both nominated by former President Donald Trump, ruled against the newest map, noting that the state Legislature still has the opportunity to draw a legally compliant map. The judges have set a deadline for the Legislature to act by June 3, warning that if they fail to do so, the panel will impose a new map on the state. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office has stated that a map needs to be in place by May 15 in order to prepare for the fall elections, with the candidate sign-up period scheduled for mid-July.
The map that was recently rejected had converted District 6, represented by Republican Rep. Garret Graves, into a mostly Black district, prompting Democratic state Sen. Cleo Fields, a Black former congressman, to announce his intention to run for the seat. The outcome of the court’s decision could potentially give Democrats the opportunity to capture another House seat, depending on how the new map is drawn. The judges emphasized that the Legislature has the opportunity to draw a new map that complies with legal standards, but if they fail to meet the deadline, the court will intervene and impose its own plan on the state.
The court battle over Louisiana’s congressional election map has been a contentious process with multiple challenges and rulings in different federal court districts. The issue revolves around the representation of the state’s Black population and the alleged violations of the Equal Protection Clause and the Voting Rights Act. The deadline for the state Legislature to pass a new map is fast approaching, with the court prepared to step in and impose its own plan if lawmakers fail to act by June 3. This decision will have significant implications for the state’s congressional representation and could potentially shift the political landscape in the upcoming U.S. Congress.
