The Louisiana legislature on Friday gave final approval to a new congressional map that favors Republicans and eliminates a Black-majority district, wrapping up a fast-moving redistricting fight ahead of the June 1 end of the legislative session.
The measure had already cleared the state Senate in an earlier 27–10 vote before the House amended the proposal this week, sending it back for final Senate approval. The bill passed after roughly seven hours of debate, with nearly all House Democrats speaking in opposition.
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The map, which is expected to shift Louisiana’s congressional delegation from a 4-2 Republican majority to a stronger 5-1 GOP majority, is now headed to the Gov. Jeff Landry’s (R-LA), where he is expected to promptly sign it into law.
The new map comes in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down Louisiana’s existing congressional map and rolled back the Voting Rights Act, finding that lawmakers had relied too heavily on race when drawing the Bayou State’s 6th Congressional District.
The revised plan reshapes that district, currently represented by Rep. Cleo Fields (D-LA), in a way that makes it more favorable to Republicans. Meanwhile, the 2nd Congressional District, represented by Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), would remain a majority-Black district.
The court ruling has already had immediate electoral consequences. Following the decision, Landry suspended the state’s scheduled May 16 U.S. House primaries to give lawmakers time to redraw districts for the 2026 cycle. Lawmakers later moved to reschedule the primaries for Nov. 3, shifting Louisiana back to a “jungle primary” system in which all candidates compete on a single ballot, with any necessary runoffs set for Dec. 12.
The redistricting fight has also fueled political backlash. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) criticized the revised map on social media, calling it “the worst I’ve seen yet” and describing it as a “Frankenstein” plan.
Louisiana’s changes are part of a broader wave of congressional redistricting battles nationwide ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans have pursued map redraws in several states that could yield additional House seats, with ongoing efforts in places including Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas.
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Additional proposals in Tennessee and Florida could further expand GOP opportunities, while attempts in Alabama and South Carolina have been blocked.
On the Democratic side, a Virginia redistricting effort that could have added up to four House seats for Democrats was recently struck down by the state Supreme Court.
