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Tag: redistricting
May 27, 2026
Lawfare
News

Alabama Appeals to Supreme Court After Redistricted Map Blocked by Lower Court.

Alabama has asked the Supreme Court for permission to use its redrawn congressional map after a lower court blocked it.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Alabama has asked the United States Supreme Court to permit the use of its redistricted congressional map after a lower court blocked its implementation. The new map eliminates a Democrat-leaning majority-minority district, in lines with a Supreme Court ruling that racially gerrymandered districts are unconstitutional.
📺 DETAIL: On Wednesday, Alabama officials requested permission from the U.S. Supreme Court to use a new congressional map. The proposed map, which eliminates one of the state’s two Democrat-voting majority-minority districts, was blocked by a lower court on Tuesday. The lower court’s ruling argued that the new map was racially discriminatory. In response to the lower court’s ruling, the state of Alabama cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which struck down aspects of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; specifically, sections mandating the creation of majority-minority districts. The Supreme Court ruled that such provisions amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. The state of Alabama further claims that the lower court’s decision contradicts the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “[V]oters will be forced ​to vote under a court-drawn racially gerrymandered map that does not meet Alabama’s legitimate districting goals,” Alabama Republicans said of the lower court ruling.
🎯 IMPACT: The push to redraw Alabama’s congressional map is part of a nationwide trend of redistricting ahead of the midterm elections in November. Across various states, legislators have redrawn and implemented congressional maps to favor the incumbent party. Democrat-controlled states have passed pro-Democrat maps, while Republican-controlled states have passed measures to boost Republican representation, often by eliminating racially gerrymandered districts. Earlier in May, South Carolina’s General Assembly held a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional map, but RINOs in the state senate blocked the map in a surprise vote, showing that redistricting is not always a straightforward process.

Image by Billy Wilson.

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Alabama has asked the Supreme Court for permission to use its redrawn congressional map after a lower court blocked it.

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May 20, 2026
News
Politics

South Carolina House Passes Redistricted Midterms Map.

The South Carolina House of Representatives has passed a new congressional map favoring Republicans, potentially eliminating the last Democrat-held seat in the state.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: South Carolina’s House of Representatives has officially approved the state’s redrawn congressional map, potentially giving Republicans a full seven-seat sweep at the midterms.
📰 DETAIL: House Bill 5683, which redraws South Carolina’s congressional map, was passed on Wednesday. The aim of the redraw was to dissolve the 6th Congressional District, currently held by Rep. Jim Clyburn, a Democrat and the only one of his party in the state’s congressional delegation. The redraw of South Carolina’s congressional map began on May 15, 2026, after Republican Governor Henry McMaster called for a special legislative session earlier in the month. It follows the Supreme Court ruling that racially gerrymandered majority-minority electoral districts, like Clyburn’s, are unconstitutional.
🎯 IMPACT: Governor McMaster summoned state legislators for a special session after a small number of Republican-in-name-only (RINO) state senators sided with the Democrats to block a previous redistricting measure. “Whatever we can do to see that we have a functioning Congress, we ought to do it,” said McMaster when asked by reporters about the decision to pursue a congressional redraw. The measure will now head to the state Senate. Notably, the previous attempt failed because a supermajority was required, but in the special session a simple majority will be sufficient. If approved by the state Senate, the new map will likely eliminate the Democrats’ only congressional district in the state, giving all seven seats to the Republicans. This would strengthen the Republicans’ electoral prospects in the midterms in November. Republican-controlled states like Texas and Florida have already pursued redraws favoring the GOP, while Democrat-controlled California and Virginia have sought to reduce Republican representation. However, not every state will redistrict before the elections in November.

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The South Carolina House of Representatives has passed a new congressional map favoring Republicans, potentially eliminating the last Democrat-held seat in the state.

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May 15, 2026
News
Politics

South Carolina Governor Calls Special Session on Redistricting to Reverse RINO Sabotage.

Governor of South Carolina Henry McMaster (R) summoned state legislators to the General Assembly for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional map.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: South Carolina’s General Assembly has started its special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional map, following a Supreme Court ruling that racially gerrmandered minority-majority districts are unconstitutional. This follows a previous attempt to redistrict this week, which was sabotaged by a small number of Republican state senators siding with the Democrats to block it. 
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts beginning Friday, May 15, at 11:00 AM.” – Governor Henry McMaster on X.
📺 DETAIL: On Thursday, Governor McMaster called for the South Carolina General Assembly, the state’s legislature, to hold a special legislative session to redraw South Carolina’s congressional maps. The governor’s announcement on X (formerly Twitter) follows the decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court during the Louisiana v. Callais case, in which provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 mandating the creation of majority-minority districts were deemed racial gerrymandering, and thus unconstitutional. The ruling has since sparked a series of redraws across the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in November. The governor’s call for a special session comes after several Republican state senators in South Carolina, including the Majority Leader, broke ranks and blocked a redistricting effort on Tuesday. The proposal would have turned South Carolina’s sole Democrat district into a Republican-leaning one. However, while the previous vote failed because it fell just short of a supermajority in the state senate, the special session will require only a simple majority to pass the new map.
🎯 IMPACT: The special session reflects the intensifying nationwide scramble to redistrict ahead of the midterms in November. South Carolina’s special session reflects a broader pattern of states pursuing redistricting proposals that benefit the incumbent party. States like California and Virginia have advanced proposals favoring the Democrats, while states like Texas and Florida have made efforts to boost Republican representation. However, not every state will redistrict before the 2026 midterms. Georgia is set to redistrict in time for 2028 but not 2026, while recent comments from Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves (R) suggest a redraw there is highly unlikely.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Governor of South Carolina Henry McMaster (R) summoned state legislators to the General Assembly for a special session to redraw the state's congressional map.

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May 14, 2026
News

Georgia Governor Initiates Special Session to Redraw Election Map – For 2028.

Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp (R) has convened a special legislative session to redistrict the state, but not in time for the 2026 midterms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp (R) has ordered a special session to redraw the state’s electoral maps ahead of the 2028 elections—but not the crucial 2026 midterms.
📺 DETAIL: Brian Kemp has called on state lawmakers to “…consider enacting, revising, repealing, or amending general law for the division of the State into appropriate districts from which members of the Georgia State Senate, the Georgia State House of Representatives, the United States House of Representatives to the United States Congress, or any other state office elected by district… to take effect for the 2028 election cycle.” The legislative session is scheduled for June 17, following the Supreme Court’s ruling against racially gerrymandered, Democrat-leaning districts in Louisiana v. Callais back in late April. The ruling declared the mandatory creation of majority-minority districts under the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. However, unlike several other Southern governors, Kemp is not attempting to implement changes in time for the 2026 midterms, meaning any reforms the Georgia legislature passes will do nothing to help the GOP maintain a House majority for the remainder of President Donald J. Trump’s term.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I think it is wrong to artificially inject race into our politics. I am very pleased that the Supreme Court has erased this, you know, from our legal framework. And I look forward to state legislators being able to redistrict based on communities of interest.” – Josh McKoon, Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party.
🎯 IMPACT: Georgia’s redistricting effort could reshape the state’s political landscape, most likely favoring Republicans while disadvantaging Democrats, who tend to have an advantage districts racially gerrymandered to create a minority majority. However, Kemp is drawing criticism for not attempting to implement redistricting in time for the 2026 midterms, a half-measure that will not help the GOP retain a congressional majority. In recent months, other states have pursued redistricting proposals to benefit the leading party in November. In California and Virginia, proposed congressional map redraws have favored Democrats, whereas states like Texas and Florida have put forward changes favoring Republicans. However, despite the accelerating scramble to redraw, not all states are pursuing redistricting ahead of the midterms. This week, Tate Reeves, the Governor of Mississippi, announced that redrawing the state’s maps was unnecessary, although he hinted at a push for a redraw in the future.

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Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp (R) has convened a special legislative session to redistrict the state, but not in time for the 2026 midterms.

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May 13, 2026
News
Politics

Mississippi Governor Backs Off Redistricting Before Midterms.

Republican Governor Tate Reeves has suggested that Mississippi will not redraw its congressional maps before the 2026 midterms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Mississippi will not redraw its congressional maps before the 2026 midterms, according to Governor Tate Reeves (R).
📺 DETAIL: In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Governor Reeves announced that he expected Mississippi lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional, legislative, and Supreme Court districts before the 2027 elections, rather than before the 2026 midterms in November. At present, Mississippi’s congressional map includes four districts, one of which is represented by Bennie Thompson, a Democrat. This announcement followed reports on Wednesday that Gov. Reeves canceled a special session centered around the possibility of redistricting the state. The session was scheduled for Wednesday next week. “Just to clarify, I said I expect lawmakers to redraw congressional lines BETWEEN NOW and 2027 elections! I also expect them to redraw legislative and Supreme Court lines between now and 2027 elections,” Reeves said. While it initially appeared Reeves was leaving the door open to redistricting before November, a follow-up announcement clarified that Mississippi will not be pursuing a redraw of its maps, which the governor suggested are now unnecessary, citing the dissolution of a District Court’s injunction preventing the use of the state’s current Supreme Court map.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “[T]here is no need for the Legislature to draw a new map. I am recalling and dissolving my April 23, 2026, Proclamation which called for a special session to redraw Mississippi’s Supreme Court map next Wednesday.” – Governor Reeves
🎯 IMPACT: Mississippi’s map is very unlikely to change ahead of the 2026 midterms, although Reeves claims he is open to doing so in the future. “Today is not the end of the redistricting process—it is just the beginning!” he said on X. However, assuming any potential redistricting proposal for Mississippi will not take place until after the November midterms, Republicans will have to look to other states to shore up additional potential representation. Reeves called for a special session prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana’s redistricting case, one of several battles to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms. States like California and Virginia have pushed proposals favoring Democrats while states like Texas and Florida seek to boost Republican representation in Congress. This week, it was reported that South Carolina and Missouri are making their own pushes to redistrict.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Republican Governor Tate Reeves has suggested that Mississippi will not redraw its congressional maps before the 2026 midterms.

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May 13, 2026
News
Politics

Louisiana GOP Advances New Congressional Map.

Louisiana’s Republican-controlled Senate has advanced a new congressional map that could shift the state’s congressional delegation from a 4-2 to a 5-1 Republican majority, following a Supreme Court decision against racial gerrymandering.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Louisiana Senate has moved forward with a new congressional map favoring Republicans, potentially increasing their delegation to five seats compared to one for Democrats. This follows a Supreme Court decision striking down the previous map, which included a racially gerrymandered, Democrat-leaning black-majority district, as unconstitutional.
📺 DETAIL: The proposal, approved by a state Senate committee after hours of overnight testimony, would likely force Democratic Reps. Troy Carter and Cleo Fields into the same district. The redistricting push follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened aspects of the Voting Rights Act mandating racial gerrymandering in favor of minorities, and opened the door for Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps in a number of states. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) previously delayed congressional primaries to give lawmakers time to adopt a new map. The proposal now heads to the full Senate and, if approved, would move to the state House and then to Governor Landry for final approval.
📺 FLASHBACK: The Supreme Court previously ruled that Louisiana’s 2022 congressional maps violated constitutional protections by relying on racial data to draw districts, mandating the creation of a second majority-Black district. This marks the third redistricting effort in Louisiana since the last census.
🎯 IMPACT: If approved, the map could have significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives come the November midterms. Redistricting efforts are intensifying across the country ahead of these elections, with the Democrats moving to redraw maps in their favor in states like California and Virginia, and the Republicans doing the same in states like Louisiana, Tennessee, and Florida.

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Louisiana's Republican-controlled Senate has advanced a new congressional map that could shift the state's congressional delegation from a 4-2 to a 5-1 Republican majority, following a Supreme Court decision against racial gerrymandering.

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May 1, 2026
News
Politics

Alabama Moves to Redraw Congressional Map After Key SCOTUS Ruling.

Governor Kay Ivey is reconvening Alabama’s state legislature, which could reshape the congressional landscape pending a pivotal decision from the Supreme Court.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Governor of Alabama Kay Ivey (R) has announced that the state’s congressional map will be redrawn ahead of the midterm elections following a landmark Supreme Court ruling against racially gerrymandered majority-minority electoral districts. Howvever, the special session to redistrict the state is contingent on the U.S. Supreme Court lifting a key injunction.
📺 DETAIL: On Friday, Ivey announced that she is summoning the Alabama legislature to redraw the state’s congressional map. The session to redistrict the state is scheduled for Monday next week. However, the session is dependent on the Supreme Court lifting an injunction tied to the Allen v. Milligan case. That case initially forced Alabama to create additional racially gerrymandered black-majority districts. Steve Marshall (R), Attorney General of Alabama, filed an emergency appeal asking justices to lift the Allen v. Milligan injunction on Thursday evening.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “By calling the Legislature into a special session, I am ensuring that Alabama is prepared should the courts act quickly enough to allow Alabama’s previously drawn congressional and state senate maps to be used during this election cycle.” — Kay Ivey
🎯 IMPACT: If Alabama is successful at getting the Allen v. Milligan injunction lifted, the state would be allowed to eliminate racially gerrymandered majority-minority districts, likely costing the Democrats representation in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November midterms. The Louisiana v. Callais ruling against racial gerrymandering earlier this week suggests that there is a high chance the Supreme Court will lift the injunction.

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Governor Kay Ivey is reconvening Alabama's state legislature, which could reshape the congressional landscape pending a pivotal decision from the Supreme Court.

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April 29, 2026
News
Politics

Florida House Advances Redistricting Bill.

State lawmakers in Florida’s House of Representatives have passed a redrawn congressional map which could give Republicans a significant edge in upcoming midterm elections.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Florida’s House of Representatives has approved a redrawn congressional map. The redistricting proposal could provide Republicans with four additional seats in the U.S. Congress come the November midterms.
📺 DETAIL: On Wednesday, Florida’s House of Representatives approved a redrawn congressional map. Proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R), the redistricting measure redraws areas in Orlando, Tampa, and south-eastern Florida. The proposal will reduce the number of Democrat-leaning areas while boosting Republican representation. The scramble to redistrict Florida was sparked after voters in Virginia narrowly approved a redistricting proposal that favors the Democrats.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Based on the testimony that we’ve heard in the two various Committees, I believe that there is a likelihood that that map will be upheld against legal challenges.” – State Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-FL).
🎯 IMPACT: After being approved by the state’s House of Representatives, the proposal moves to the Florida Senate, where the Republicans have a substantial majority. Florida’s redistricting measure mirrors similar efforts in other states besides Virginia. In California, a redrawn congressional map favoring the Democrats was passed earlier this year. Similarly, a new congressional map favoring Republicans was introduced in Texas. Notably, these moves come as the Supreme Court voted 6-3 on Wednesday to limit provisions of the Voting Rights Act that previously required some states to create majority-minority districts favoring Democrats.

Image by F McGady.

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State lawmakers in Florida's House of Representatives have passed a redrawn congressional map which could give Republicans a significant edge in upcoming midterm elections.

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April 28, 2026
Lawfare
News

Virginia Supreme Court Maintains Block on Certifying Redistricting Referendum.

The Virginia Supreme Court is maintaining a lower court block on the certification of the state’s redistricted electoral map, prolonging the legal battle over its constitutionality.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Virginia Supreme Court has declined to lift a block on certifying the results of a referendum on changing the state’s electoral map in a manner that favors the Democrats. The results were initially blocked by a lower court, citing concerns over the referendum’s constitutionality.
📺 DETAIL: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Virginia denied a motion put forward by Jay Jones, Attorney General of Virginia (D), to overturn a ruling disallowing the certification of the results of the state’s redistricting referendum. In a state-wide vote last week, voters in Virginia narrowly approved a measure to redraw its congressional map in a way that heavily favors the incumbent Democrats. However, following the results, Tazewell County Circuit Court blocked its implementation. The lower court decided the referendum and the law authorizing it were unconstitutional, and that the process and ballot language used were legally flawed. Democrats made a legal push to get the results certified, with attorneys Richard Hawkins and Matthew Seligman, along with Solicitor General Tillman Breckenridge, putting the case.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The current attorney general of Virginia… in his public statements; the only defense I’ve heard him offer is the ‘will of the people’… and his own lawyer in court today says that was irrelevant,” commented Ken Cuccinelli, former Attorney General of Virginia.
🎯 IMPACT: The Virginia Supreme Court’s decision delays the implementation of the Democrats’ redistricting plan, creating uncertainty ahead of the midterm elections in November. The decision by Virginia’s Supreme Court comes at a time when multiple states, such as California, Texas, and Florida, are scrambling to redraw their congressional maps before the midterms.

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The Virginia Supreme Court is maintaining a lower court block on the certification of the state's redistricted electoral map, prolonging the legal battle over its constitutionality.

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April 27, 2026
Politics

New Plan Could Claw Back 4 GOP Seats After Virginia Referendum Defeat.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has introduced a redistricting proposal reflecting the state’s population growth, which could allow Republicans to gain four additional seats in the November midterms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has unveiled a new congressional map that could give Republicans four additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The map reflects Florida’s population growth and demographic shifts, with the governor emphasizing that it ensures fair representation for the state. This follows the GOP losing referendum on redistricting that will favor the Democrats in Virginia.
📺 DETAIL: The proposal, shared on Monday ahead of a special legislative session to consider redistricting, would reshape multiple districts in a way that favors GOP candidates. DeSantis argues the proposed reforms are justified by the state’s population growth and issues with prior census data. Democrats complain the plan amounts to partisan gerrymandering and have threatened legal challenges, noting Florida’s constitution prohibits maps from being drawn to benefit a political party. Notably, DeSantis’s effort follows a Democrat-led redistricting push in Virginia, which is likely to hand Democrats several additional House seats. If approved by Florida lawmakers, DeSantis’s map could significantly influence the balance of power in Congress, although it will face legal challenges.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since.” – Ron DeSantis.
🎯 IMPACT: The new map could solidify Republican dominance in Florida, where the GOP already holds a 1.5 million voter registration advantage, and balance out the Democrats’ redistricting push in Virginia, which is likely to hand them four additional seats.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has introduced a redistricting proposal reflecting the state's population growth, which could allow Republicans to gain four additional seats in the November midterms.

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