Overview
- Florida’s governor signed a new congressional map that adds four Republican-leaning seats, and Democrats sued saying it violates the state’s Fair Districts ban on partisan gerrymandering.
- Alabama and Tennessee called special sessions this week to pursue new U.S. House maps, with Alabama seeking relief from a court order locking in its current map and Tennessee moving to dismantle Memphis’ lone Democratic district.
- Louisiana delayed its May 16 congressional primary to allow a new map after the Supreme Court’s ruling, and lawsuits now challenge the governor’s power to postpone the election.
- The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais raised the bar for Voting Rights Act claims by requiring plaintiffs to show racially polarized voting cannot be explained by partisanship, which makes race-based challenges far harder to win.
- Republicans say new maps in states like Texas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio could net about a dozen seats, while Democrats are trying to counter in California and Virginia but face court and timing hurdles that could limit changes for 2026.