{"id":2596973,"date":"2026-04-30T07:35:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T11:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/louisiana-redistricting-ruling-poised-to-wipe-out-house-democrats-in-the-south\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T07:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T11:38:35","slug":"louisiana-redistricting-ruling-poised-to-wipe-out-house-democrats-in-the-south","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/louisiana-redistricting-ruling-poised-to-wipe-out-house-democrats-in-the-south\/","title":{"rendered":"Louisiana redistricting ruling poised to wipe out House Democrats in the South"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flouisiana-redistricting-ruling-poised-to-wipe-out-house-democrats-in-the-south%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2596973&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s landmark ruling in *Louisiana v. Callais* is expected to reshape congressional district maps across the South over the next several redistricting cycles. In a 6-3 decision, the court held that Louisiana\u2019s creation of a second minority-majority district violated the Constitution as it was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. It also significantly changed how courts evaluate claims under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by rewriting the *Gingles* framework used to challenge dilution of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-could-lose-seats-in-congress-after-biden-doj-gambled-on-a-local-commissioner-seat\/\" title=\"Democrats Risk Congressional Seats After Biden DOJ&#039;s Local Commissioner Seat Gamble\">minority voting strength<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>under the previous *Gingles* approach, plaintiffs could succeed by showing minority voting power was diluted regardless of the motive behind districting. the new standard instead <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >requires proving lawmakers intentionally disenfranchised minority voters<\/a>, which raises the difficulty of winning Section 2 lawsuits and gives states more latitude to redraw districts, even if changes dilute minority-preferred outcomes as a side effect of partisan drawing.<\/p>\n<p>Legal experts quoted in the article say the *gingles* standard now effectively exists \u201cin name only,\u201d likely making prosperous challenges harder while not necessarily reducing the overall volume of litigation in the near term. States can begin redistricting instantly if allowed by state law, and analyses suggest multiple Democratic-held districts could face changes-perhaps turning some Democratic seats Republican. However, the full political impact may not be felt until after the redistricting cycle triggered by the 2030 census. In response to the ruling, several states have already started (or are planning) moves to redraw maps, including Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"203\">Supreme Court\u2019s<\/a> landmark ruling Wednesday in <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4410470\/supreme-court-strikes-down-race-based-redistricting-map-in-louisiana\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4410470\/supreme-court-strikes-down-race-based-redistricting-map-in-louisiana\/\">Louisiana v. Callais<\/a><\/em>  is set to spark a shake-up of congressional maps across the South in the coming years, which will likely see multiple Democratic-held districts drawn out of existence.<\/p>\n<p>The high court ruled 6-3 on Wednesday that Louisiana\u2019s creation of a second minority-majority district in compliance with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The majority also rewrote the legal test for determining unlawful redistricting under Section 2 of the VRA, as established by a 1986 ruling in <em>Thornburg v. Gingles. <\/em>Under the previous <em>Gingles<\/em> test, lawsuits over a state\u2019s congressional maps simply had to show that the voting power of minorities was diluted, regardless of the reason. But the new framework says lawsuits have to prove states intentionally disenfranchised minority voters if they draw districts that effectively water down the minority vote, creating a much higher bar that will almost certainly allow states to redraw their maps without regard to racial considerations.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4547699\/supreme-court-strikes-down-race-based-redistricting-map-in-louisiana-2\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Supreme Court strikes down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-backs-pregnancy-center-in-donor-subpoena-fight\/\" title=\"Supreme Court backs pregnancy center in donor subpoena fight\">race-based redistricting map<\/a> in Louisiana<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4502282\/crisis-pregnancy-center-win-supreme-court\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Supreme Court hands crisis pregnancy center win in fight against New Jersey\u2019s donor list subpoena<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4410470\/supreme-court-strikes-down-race-based-redistricting-map-in-louisiana\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Supreme Court strikes down race-based redistricting map in Louisiana<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-supreme-court-rewrites-gingles-test-to-raise-the-bar-for-vra-redistricting-lawsuits\">Supreme Court rewrites <em>Gingles<\/em> test to raise the bar for VRA redistricting lawsuits<\/h2>\n<p>While Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion that <em>Callais<\/em> does not overrule the holding in <em>Gingles<\/em>, Jason Torchinsky, an election law expert and partner at Holtzman Vogel, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the <em>Gingles<\/em> standard now effectively stands \u201cin name only.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very, very challenging to bring a successful Section 2 claim under the new <em>Gingles<\/em>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0old <em>Gingles <\/em>standard found that if a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kavanaugh-questions-endpoint-for-race-based-redistricting\/\" title=\"Kavanaugh questions &#039;endpoint&#039; for race-based ...\">minority group makes<\/a> up a significant portion of a state\u2019s population and lives in a sufficiently compact area, that group should be entitled to elect its preferred candidate via a congressional district in which it makes up the majority.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0former <em>Gingles<\/em> holding aimed to curb the dilution of minority groups\u2019 voting power in elections by ensuring their representation through these VRA opportunity districts. The new <em>Gingles<\/em> standard, rewritten this week in <em>Callais<\/em>, focuses on the intent of lawmakers, opening the door to allowing race-neutral partisan gerrymandering that could incidentally wipe out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-sues-texas-over-redistricting-claims-it-violates-voting-rights-act\/\" title=\"DOJ sues Texas over ..., claims it violates ...\">minority-majority districts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Southern states will now have more freedom to draw congressional districts without fear of a VRA lawsuit over any map that dilutes minority voting power in pursuit of partisan advantage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt gave the states more freedom to draw districts and to be free from the possible challenges brought by people who want to use the Voting Rights Act to strike down districts,\u201d Michael Dimino, a law professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cIt gave states more freedom rather than less.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, it certainly is possible for people to challenge districts as racial gerrymanders, and in this case itself, the Supreme Court says that this district that Louisiana drew was unconstitutional, but there\u2019s nothing new about that conclusion,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Although the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling likely reduces the number of lawsuits that can succeed in striking down congressional maps as violations of Section 2, Torchinsky is not optimistic it will reduce the \u201cvolume of litigation\u201d in the short term.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll see what happens over time, but this does make plaintiff-side challenges that are seeking to force additional majority-minority districts a lot harder,\u201d Torchinsky said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-states-can-redraw-maps-now-but-full-effects-will-be-seen-post-2030-census\">States can redraw maps now, but full effects will be seen post-2030 census<\/h2>\n<p>While the full impact of the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling will likely not be felt until after the redistricting cycle spurred by the 2030 census, states can begin to redraw their maps immediately if their laws and state constitutions allow.<\/p>\n<p>As many as 12 Democratic congressional districts could be redrawn into Republican ones, with <em>Gingles<\/em> now effectively muted as a legal standard, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com\/dynamic\/render?campaign_id=277&#038;emc=edit_nc_20251015&#038;free_trial=0&#038;instance_id=164474&#038;isViewInBrowser=true&#038;nl=the-tilt&#038;paid_regi=1&#038;productCode=NC%C2%AEi_id=65226929&#038;segment_id=207949&#038;sendId=207949&#038;uri=nyt:\/\/newsletter\/a1bc33d3-f633-5fbf-b8e8-0a66739059d9&#038;user_id=011a405a6d1c1f555d38cb2d5538fba5\">according to<\/a> an\u00a0analysis\u00a0by the <em>New York Times<\/em>. Another report by left-wing group Fair Fight Action <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/664f769adc5cc1607d32b366\/68e58681b33c082c686a91bf_a9a4cc027348464928d3c5d4f61f1f4c_2025%20REPORT_SCOTUS_VRA.pdf\">found<\/a> that as many as 19 Democratic congressional seats could be in jeopardy.<\/p>\n<p>Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in the aftermath of Wednesday\u2019s ruling that the Supreme Court ended the state\u2019s \u201clong-running nightmare of federal courts coercing the state to draw a racially discriminatory map.\u201d Because the state\u2019s second minority-majority district was directly ruled as unconstitutional by the high court, Louisiana appears poised for a quick redraw of its map to wipe out at least one of the two Democratic-held seats in the state.<\/p>\n<p>Florida has already begun the process of redistricting in a bid to add as many as four Republican seats to its congressional delegation, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RonDeSantis\/status\/2049498370155127066\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RonDeSantis\/status\/2049498370155127066\">said<\/a> Wednesday\u2019s ruling affected one district in the state\u2019s current congressional map that has \u201cbeen corrected in the newly-drawn (and soon to be enacted) map.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court\u2019s ruling triggered a special legislative session in Mississippi, meaning lawmakers in the state will get to work in the coming weeks to redraw their district, potentially wiping away a Democratic-held seat. In neighboring Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL) said lawmakers are not in a position to call a special session to redraw their districts but expressed hope that they will be able to do so soon.<\/p>\n<p>Torchinsky predicts that while several states are looking at potentially redrawing ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the effects of Wednesday\u2019s decision will not be felt until later elections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn advance of 2028, I think we\u2019re going to have a combination of lawsuits and voluntary action by legislatures to address <em>Callais<\/em> and try to get rid of districts that aren\u2019t consistent with <em>Callais<\/em>. And then after the 2030 census, how districts are redrawn following that will all have to be drawn consistent with <em>Callais<\/em>, and so you may see some more dramatic effects,\u201d Torchinsky said.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4410470\/supreme-court-strikes-down-race-based-redistricting-map-in-louisiana\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4410470\">SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN RACE-BASED REDISTRICTING MAP IN LOUISIANA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the South, congressional redistricting \u2014 usually an exercise done by state legislature just once at the beginning of a decade \u2014 had turned into slogs of lawsuits and different maps from election to election. With Wednesday\u2019s ruling, Dimino believes that whenever states decide to redraw their maps, they will be less constrained and less in fear of a VRA lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe likely result is going to be that a state is going to think if we decide to redraw our districts now or when we have to redraw our districts after the 2030 census, we\u2019re going to have a little more freedom in drawing district lines without having to worry quite so much about looping in enough minority voters to create X number of majority-minority districts,\u201d Dimino said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais will reshape Southern congressional maps, likely eliminating some Democratic districts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4059,"featured_media":2596974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26097645724219_417c47.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[6571,6100,16985,32570],"class_list":["post-2596973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-elections","tag-louisiana","tag-redistricting","tag-voting-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26097645724219_417c47.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4059"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2596973"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2596977,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596973\/revisions\/2596977"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2596974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2596973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2596973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2596973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}