Axios New Orleans
May 14, 2026
1 big thing: 🔎 Congressional lines shift
Louisiana lawmakers are scheduled to vote today on a new congressional map that would eliminate one of the state's two majority-Black U.S. House districts.
Why it matters: The map would likely flip the 6th Congressional District, which is currently held by Democrat Cleo Fields, to a Republican seat — as part of a national midterm directive from President Trump.
The big picture: The proposal would return Louisiana closer to its 2022 congressional map, before courts ordered lawmakers to create a second majority-Black district.
- Under Republican Sen. Jay Morris' plan, the state would have one majority-Black district stretching from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Most of the district's population would be in Orleans and Jefferson parishes.
- Fields' current district, which snakes across north and central Louisiana under the current map, would be significantly redrawn to have a white majority and different parishes.
Zoom in: Morris says he based the proposed map on political affiliations, population cores, communities of interest and the 2022 map.
- The courts say congressional lines can be drawn to favor political parties but not racial groups, Morris argues.
Yes, but: Critics say that distinction is difficult to separate in Louisiana, where race and partisan affiliation often overlap.
- Historically, white residents in Southern states lean Republican, while Black residents largely vote for Democrats.
Friction point: Gov. Jeff Landry says a new map is needed before the state can hold U.S. House elections, which he suspended on April 30 after the U.S. Supreme Court's Callais decision.
- He says he is following the Supreme Court ruling to remove race as a factor.
- Opponents argue the proposal isn't an accurate reflection of the state's voters, who are one-third Black.
- Louisiana has one of the highest percentages of Black residents in the U.S.
The other side: "We may not always have the votes, but we always have our voice," U.S. Rep. Troy Carter told a standing-room-only crowd Monday night at a Democratic town hall at Dillard University.
- Democrats have been responding by packing state Capitol meetings, signing a gubernatorial recall petition and hosting town halls.
- A recall petition for Attorney General Liz Murrill was filed yesterday, too.
What's next: If the Senate approves the map, it will head to a state House committee next week.
- Lawmakers are racing to approve a new map before the legislative session ends June 1.
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Axios New Orleans
