Supreme Court guts Section 2 of Voting Rights Act in landmark Louisiana redistricting ruling
Primary region US
Tags Courts · Elections
Regions US
The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on April 29, 2026, in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana's congressional map containing two majority-Black districts was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Justice Alito delivered the opinion, with Justices Thomas and Gorsuch concurring; Justice Kagan dissented, joined by Sotomayor and Jackson. The ruling effectively gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, overturning 40 years of precedent from Thornburg v. Gingles. The decision requires Section 2 plaintiffs' illustrative maps to meet all of a jurisdiction's political objectives, including protecting incumbents, making it far harder for voters of color to win VRA cases. Analysts estimate up to 12 majority-minority districts across the South are at risk, with potential to shift 9+ House seats from Democratic to Republican hands in the 2026 cycle. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry moved to suspend the May 16 primary to allow the legislature to redraw maps. The White House called the decision 'a complete and total victory'; the NAACP LDF called it 'devastating'.
Strategic interpretation
The ruling removes the most powerful remaining tool for challenging racially discriminatory redistricting, handing state legislatures broad latitude to draw maps that dilute minority voting power ahead of the 2026 midterms. This could entrench Republican control of the House while further polarizing the court's credibility on civil rights. The decision may also provoke legislative efforts in Congress to restore VRA protections, though passage appears unlikely given current partisan divides.