Voting rights advocates have filed an emergency motion with the Supreme Court to keep a new Louisiana congressional map in place that creates a second majority Black district. The map, passed by lawmakers in January, was ruled unconstitutional by a federal panel of judges in western Louisiana on April 30. The advocates are seeking to block this ruling and keep the new districts in place while appeals continue. The Supreme Court has asked for responses to the appeal by Monday morning, just two days before the state’s election officials need to have a map in place for the fall elections. Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill, both Republicans, support the new map and plan to ask the high court to keep it in place.
The new mostly Black district in the proposed map could give Democrats the opportunity to capture another House seat in Louisiana. District 6, currently represented by Republican Rep. Garret Graves, was converted under the new map. Democratic state Sen. Cleo Fields, a former congressman who is Black, has expressed interest in running for the seat. Supporters of the new district, including the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, argue that the lower court decision has left Louisiana without a congressional map for the fall election. They also believe there is no realistic chance for the Legislature to adopt a new map in time.
The legal battle over the congressional map has been ongoing and involves multiple federal district courts and an appeals court. Currently, Louisiana has five white Republican U.S. House members and one Black Democrat. All were elected under the map drawn up by the Legislature in 2022. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick of Baton Rouge previously blocked the use of the 2022 map, citing potential violations of the Voting Rights Act. After being given a deadline to act by a federal appeals court earlier this year, the Legislature responded with the latest map that includes a new district crossing the state diagonally and linking Black populations from different regions.
A group of non-African American voters filed suit against the new map, arguing that it was unconstitutionally drawn with race as the main factor. Supporters of the map claimed that political considerations, such as maintaining districts of House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, were the primary drivers. However, the federal panel of judges voted 2-1 in favor of the challengers of the new map. The panel has stated that it will impose its own plan but has also given the Legislature until June 3 to try to draw up a new map. The emergency filing to the Supreme Court argues that it is not legally or logistically possible for the Legislature to pass a new map in time, especially since state election officials have indicated the need for a map by May 15.
Overall, the battle over Louisiana’s congressional map is intensifying as voting rights advocates and supporters of the new districts fight to keep them in place for the upcoming fall elections. The Supreme Court will need to consider the emergency motion and responses from both sides before making a decision on the future of the map. The outcome of this legal battle will have significant implications for the representation of Black voters in Louisiana and the balance of power in the state’s congressional delegation. As the deadline for a new map approaches, the focus remains on ensuring fair and equitable representation for all voters in the state.
