Louisiana Lawmakers Unveil New Congressional Map After Supreme Court Ruling

Louisiana lawmakers unveiled a new congressional map Wednesday for the 2026 election after the Supreme Court struck down the state's current map last month.

The new map eliminates one majority Black, Democratic-leaning district while preserving one Democratic-leaning district. It gives Republicans an edge in five districts and Democrats in one.

The state Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced the map in the early hours of Wednesday. Democrats had proposed keeping the previous 4-2 split.

The remaining Democratic-leaning district runs from New Orleans into parts of Baton Rouge. That configuration could force a matchup between the state's two Black representatives, Cleo Fields and Troy Carter. Fields' majority Black district was folded into others.

Fields issued a statement vowing to fight the map. "That bill may have failed, but its principles have not," he said.

He continued, "As the bill moves to the full Senate, I will be fighting to ensure those principles are not left behind. The demographics of this state demand fair representation. The history of this state demands it. And the people of Louisiana — all of the people — deserve nothing less."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose 4th District was redrawn to include Shreveport and surrounding areas, said Wednesday the Supreme Court "restored a simple but profound truth, yes, the Constitution protects every American equally, and that's a very important concept for us to maintain."

"You can't have an election on an unconstitutional map," Johnson added. "That's why, not just Louisiana, but other states have reviewed their maps under this new rule in the clarification of the court to make sure that we do this right."

Public comments on the Republican-led map extended to 4 a.m., according to CBS New Orleans affiliate WWL.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana's 2021 congressional map overreached in redrawing boundaries to meet Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The decision limited the law's scope and spurred redistricting in southern states before the 2026 midterms.

The ruling came amid redistricting battles that began last year when President Trump urged Texas lawmakers to redraw their map for up to five extra Republican seats to hold the U.S. House.

Early voting in Louisiana was days away from starting after the Supreme Court decision, with more than 40,000 ballots already returned. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry suspended House primaries. Landry told "60 Minutes" this week that the returned ballots will be discarded.

Other state primaries continue, including the closely watched Republican Senate primary. Early voting there ended May 9, with the primary set for May 16.