Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) said on Friday he will not require Georgia to redraw its congressional map before the midterm elections, taking the opposite stance of his Republican counterparts in other states.
The governor’s rationale is that because the state’s elections are already underway, he won’t cancel the May 19 primary.
His decision comes after Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) suspended six House primaries in Louisiana following a landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down race-based redistricting enabled by a section of the Voting Rights Act.
Kemp may have ruled out redistricting this year, but he could call lawmakers back to the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta to consider a GOP-friendly map for the 2028 election cycle before he leaves office in January 2027.
While he expressed support for the outcome of Louisiana v. Callais, Kemp said it’s too late for Georgia Republicans to redraw the state’s congressional districts before the midterm elections, as early voting already began this week.
“Voting is already underway for the 2026 elections,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But it’s clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle.”
The term-limited governor hailed the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, saying the ruling “restores fairness to our redistricting process and allows states to pass electoral maps that reflect the will of the voters, not the will of federal judges.”
Georgia’s early voting period lasts until May 15, four days before the primary election.
TRUMP SAYS TENNESSEE NEXT TO REDISTRICT AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING AND ‘GIVE US ONE EXTRA SEAT’
Meanwhile, Tennessee is considering a GOP-led redistricting process that would eliminate the one Democratic House seat in the state. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) pitched the idea before President Donald Trump weighed in.
In a Truth Social post, Trump vowed Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) “would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw in the Congressional Maps of the Great State of Tennessee.” If successful, Trump said, the effort would give Republicans “one extra seat.” Tennessee Republicans currently have an 8-1 edge in the state’s House delegation.