Georgia Gov. Kemp Calls Special Session on June 17 for Redistricting After Supreme Court Ruling

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a proclamation on Wednesday calling the General Assembly into a special session on June 17 to handle redistricting. The move follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected to force changes to the state's electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle.

The session comes six weeks after the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais on April 29, 2026. That ruling found Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district relied too heavily on race and amounted to an unconstitutional gerrymander.

The regular 2026 General Assembly session adjourned on April 3, so a special session became necessary for the redistricting work.

The proclamation limits lawmakers to two tasks. First, they will consider enacting, revising, repealing or amending state laws to divide Georgia into districts for the State Senate, State House, U.S. House or other district-elected state offices. Any changes take effect for the 2028 election cycle.

Second, they will tackle issues from a July 1 effective date for election code changes passed in a 2024 Georgia law.

Kemp had indicated the special session was on the way. He noted early voting for the 2026 elections was already under way and that map changes would not occur in the next few weeks or months.

After the Supreme Court ruling in May, Kemp said the decision showed Georgia needed new electoral maps before 2028. "It's clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle," Kemp said at the time.

Kemp also praised the ruling. He said it "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 Republican Chairman Josh McCoon called for the special session after the ruling. He said new maps must follow traditional redistricting principles like contiguity, compactness and respect for political subdivisions, without racial targets.

Democrats criticized the development. State Sen. Raphael Warnock called the Supreme Court ruling "a profound defeat for American democracy," saying it would let partisan politicians pick their voters. Rep. Nikema Williams, who represents parts of metro Atlanta, called it "another step away from the promise of equal representation."