While national Republicans celebrate the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that Louisiana’s second majority-black district was drawn unconstitutionally, local leaders have been left scrambling to figure out what this means for the primary election 17 days away.
Louisiana had to redraw its congressional map after a 2022 version was declared in violation of the Voting Rights Act by inaccurately reflecting the state’s demographics. Now, the Supreme Court has declared the redrawn map of 2024 went too far the other way and constitutes a racial gerrymander.
However, the high court did not make clear the process for what happens in Louisiana now. And with early primary voting beginning this weekend, and the primary slated for May 16, everyone from voting rights groups to the state’s executive branch and legislative heads is motivated to act fast.
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“I think there are a lot of questions and a lot of concerns as we try to understand exactly what does this mean for Louisiana?” Ashley Shelton, founder, president, and CEO of Power Coalition, told the Washington Examiner.
“We have cut really close, right? The primaries have already happened in so many states,” Shelton said. “And so it’s really unclear to me how they would be able to take swift action given the circumstance.”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill came out immediately with a statement, hopeful that Republicans have enough time to institute new maps before the primary, insisting that “it’s still possible to do something” as long as the legislature acts fast.
Other leaders weren’t as quick to argue in favor of pushing for a new map ahead of the midterm elections.
Republicans state House Speaker Phillip Devillier and Senate President Cameron Henry said in a statement they are “reviewing the ruling.”
“We are reviewing that ruling and meeting with our members, representatives from the executive branch, elections officials and counsel to determine next steps to be [taken] in the best interest of Louisiana voters and our state,” the statement reads.
The state Legislative Communications Office did not expand on the leaders’ plans when reached by the Washington Examiner.
Similarly, Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) said his office needs time to review the opinion before he announces any moves.
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“It’s a very lengthy opinion, and we need to take the time to be able to properly vet that particular opinion to understand exactly what our options are,” the governor said. “The Supreme Court picked an interesting time to be able to drop that on us. They could have dropped it on us in February. They could have dropped it on us in January.”
Indeed, the state legislature already delayed the primary date once in preparation for the Supreme Court decision.
During the special legislative session at the end of 2025, state Rep. Beau Beaullieu co-authored the bill to push the primary date from April 18 to May 19, 2026, which passed 73-29. However, at the time, he said he hoped the secretary of state would be able to submit new maps by Jan. 13, allowing time before the qualifying deadline a month later. With the Supreme Court not ruling in Louisiana v. Callais until April 29, that deadline is long gone.
Louisiana officials had hoped for a ruling on the matter by Dec. 20, 2025, but were disappointed when the justices asked for a second round of arguments, delaying the ruling.
It’s possible the state legislature would revert to using the 2022 maps, which give Democrats one district compared to Republicans’ five. Rep. Cleo Fields’s (D-LA) district would be redrawn. This would simplify the legislature’s approval process, but it still doesn’t resolve whether the change can be made before the primary.
The legislature leads redistricting in Louisiana, and the maps drawn by the Republican-controlled chambers are subject to the governor’s veto.
But the position isn’t just confusing for politicians; voters and voter advocates aren’t sure where the ruling leaves them in the meantime.
“Are we going to host additional [primaries]? Are we going to redo primaries?” Shelton said. “Then, too, there’s the reality of the secretary of state having to move voters back from whatever district they’re currently in into other districts. And that actually has to be a thoughtful process.”
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Educating voters about which district they’re in, and whether changes to their voter registration are needed, is a key responsibility of voter advocacy groups and likely a major consideration for officials as they debate their next move.
“If we don’t move with the current maps, I mean … the only outcome is disenfranchisement,” Shelton said.