Louisiana lawmakers weigh cuts to Black House districts
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Louisiana lawmakers on Friday will consider congressional maps that could reshape Black political representation in the state.
Why it matters: The four proposals eliminate one or both of the state's majority-Black congressional districts.
The big picture: The four maps, first reported by WDSU, redraw the state to favor Republicans.
- One proposal eliminates both majority-Black districts. Another keeps the Baton Rouge-based district, while two keep the New Orleans-based district.
- The state Senate committee convenes at 9am to hear public comment. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter says he'll testify.
- Sen. Royce Duplessis urged residents in a video to show up and "be heard."
What he's saying: Republican committee chair Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter told the Louisiana Illuminator that lawmakers will likely favor keeping the Baton Rouge district while eliminating the New Orleans one.
Catch up quick: Gov. Jeff Landry says Louisiana needs a new congressional map before U.S. House elections can be held.
- He suspended the House primaries last week after absentee voting had begun and days before early voting was set to start.
- The House races still appear on early voting ballots, though Secretary of State Nancy Landry says those votes won't count.
- The ACLU and other groups are encouraging residents to "vote your entire ballot" while the legal challenges continue.
Stunning stat: The Secretary of State's office received more than 42,000 absentee ballots by the time Landry suspended the House primaries, writes Piper Hutchinson with the Illuminator.
How it works: Louisiana is divided into six voting districts for the U.S. House. See the map.
- Four are majority-white and represented by white Republicans: Steve Scalise, Mike Johnson, Clay Higgins and Julia Letlow.
- Two are majority-Black and are represented by Black Democrats: Troy Carter and Cleo Fields.
- Fields' district was added in response to a lawsuit from Black voters — who make up roughly 30% of the state's population — arguing they were underrepresented.
Zoom out: Louisiana is part of a broader GOP-led push to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday passed a new U.S. House map that removes the state's only majority-Black district, which represented Memphis.
- It came after a directive from President Trump for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Republicans to pass the map that will favor the GOP in all nine House races, writes Axios' Nate Rau.
- See more redistricting efforts in the South.
What's next: Early voting ends Saturday for the May 16 party primaries. See your sample ballot.
- The new House primaries are currently scheduled for July 15, but could move.