Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) suspended Louisiana’s primary elections, scheduled for May 16, on Thursday following a Supreme Court ruling that struck down the state’s 2024 congressional map.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the second majority-black district drawn in the 2024 map, the 6th Congressional District represented by Rep. Cleo Fields (D-LA), constituted a racial gerrymander. The justices cited Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in their decision, which has long been interpreted by courts to prohibit congressional maps drawn on the basis of minority voting strength, regardless of intent.
“The State is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map,” Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement. “We are working together with the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s office to develop a path forward.”
Early voting for the primary was to begin Saturday, with Election Day set for May 16. The primary election date had already been moved back during the state legislature’s special session in late 2025, in expectation of the high court’s ruling. The original date was April 18.
SUPREME COURT’S LOUISIANA REDISTRICTING RULING POISED TO WIPE OUT HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN THE SOUTH
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is up for reelection in 2026, as are all six representatives in Louisiana. Cassidy, who has been critical of Trump and members of the Trump administration, is in a tough primary, facing Louisiana state treasurer John Fleming, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), and businessman Mark Spencer. In the latest polling, Cassidy was trailing both Fleming and Letlow.
Fields faces losing his seat if the state legislature redraws the map. Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA) could also be in trouble in the 2nd Congressional District, though his district remained largely unchanged from the 2022 to 2024 maps.
LOUISIANA VOTERS LEFT IN LIMBO AS LEGISLATURE DEBATES NEXT MOVE AFTER MAP STRUCK DOWN
State legislative officials told the Washington Examiner that the House speaker and Senate president were in conversations with the executive branch immediately following the ruling to determine a plan of action for congressional maps ahead of the election.
In Louisiana, the state legislature is in charge of redrawing districts, which are subject to the governor’s veto. The map created in 2022 after the 2020 census was ruled unconstitutional because it did not adequately take into account the state’s black population. The 2024 maps rectified this by creating a second majority-black district, the state’s 6th Congressional District.