Louisiana Lawmakers Pass Congressional Map Favoring Republicans

Louisiana lawmakers have approved a controversial new congressional map that is expected to strengthen Republican control of the state’s U.S. House delegation by eliminating one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black congressional districts. The move comes amid an intensifying national redistricting battle ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The Republican-controlled Louisiana Senate gave final approval to the map in a 28-10 party-line vote on Friday after the state House had earlier passed the proposal. Republican Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the measure into law.

The new map would likely shift Louisiana’s congressional delegation from a 4-2 Republican advantage to a 5-1 Republican edge, giving the GOP a stronger position in the closely divided U.S. House of Representatives.

At the center of the controversy is the elimination of one of the state’s two majority-Black districts, currently represented by Democratic Congressman Cleo Fields. The district had been created under a court-ordered map in 2024 after federal courts found that earlier district boundaries diluted Black voting power in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

However, the political landscape changed dramatically in April when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s existing congressional map, ruling that it constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander because race was the predominant factor used in drawing district lines. The decision in Louisiana v. Callais significantly weakened legal protections that had supported the creation of majority-Black districts across parts of the South.

Following that ruling, Louisiana Republicans moved quickly to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries before the November midterm elections. The newly approved map reshapes Fields’ Baton Rouge-based district by dispersing many Democratic and Black voters into surrounding Republican-leaning districts while concentrating a larger share of Black voters into the New Orleans-based district represented by Democratic Congressman Troy Carter.

Republican lawmakers insist the new boundaries were drawn based on partisan considerations rather than race. State Senator Jay Morris, the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers during debate that the objective was to improve Republican electoral performance rather than target any racial group. He said mapmakers were instructed not to use racial data when preparing district proposals.

Democrats and civil rights advocates strongly dispute that claim. They argue the map effectively reduces Black political representation in a state where African Americans make up roughly one-third of the population. Opponents described the redistricting effort as a form of racial gerrymandering disguised as partisan mapmaking.

Democratic State Senator Royce Duplessis warned during floor debate that Louisiana was participating in what he called a “race to the bottom” by redrawing congressional districts during an election cycle. Other Democratic lawmakers argued the new boundaries would likely face legal challenges because of their impact on minority voting power.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana signaled that it is preparing potential legal action against the map. The organization accused lawmakers of creating what it described as a racial gerrymander “hiding behind the thin veneer of partisanship.”

The Louisiana dispute forms part of a broader nationwide redistricting fight that has intensified following recent court decisions affecting voting rights protections. Republican-controlled states including Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and others have explored similar efforts to redraw congressional districts in ways that could increase GOP representation in Congress.

According to political analysts, Republicans could gain as many as ten additional congressional seats nationwide through ongoing redistricting efforts, potentially helping the party maintain control of the House after the 2026 elections. Democrats, meanwhile, are pursuing redistricting opportunities in states such as California and Utah but have achieved fewer gains so far.

The Louisiana map fight has also disrupted the state’s election calendar. Governor Landry previously postponed congressional primary elections after the Supreme Court ruling to allow lawmakers time to adopt a replacement map. The state has since shifted to a new election schedule that will use the revised district boundaries if the law survives expected court challenges.

Legal experts expect lawsuits to be filed within days, meaning Louisiana’s congressional map could once again become the focus of a major court battle over voting rights, race, and political representation in the United States.