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Redistricting in Louisiana ahead of the 2026 elections
Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. This article covers redistricting activity in Louisiana after the 2024 elections and before the 2026 elections.
The districts from which Louisiana's U.S. representatives and state legislators are elected are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
Congressional districts
Litigation over congressional redistricting in Louisiana after the 2020 census is ongoing.
A group of voters filed a lawsuit on January 31, 2024, arguing that the 2024 map containing a second majority-Black congressional district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and over-represents Black voters. On April 30, 2024, the district court agreed and enjoined the map's use in future elections. The state said it was "stuck in an endless game of ping-pong," having drawn the 2024 map after a federal district court struck down a 2022 version containing one majority-Black congressional district as a likely violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prevents the denial or limitation of voting rights based on race. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on March 24, 2025.[1] On June 27, 2025, the Court scheduled the case for reargument in its next term, set to begin in October 2025.[2]
Click here for more information about the congressional maps enacted in Louisiana after the 2020 census.
Legislative districts
Litigation over state legislative redistricting in Louisiana after the 2020 census is ongoing.
A group of voters filed a lawsuit on March 14, 2022, arguing that the state legislative map drawn after the 2020 census violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black votes. On February 8, 2024, the district court agreed and ordered the state to draw a new state legislative map. The state appealed the case to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral argument on January 7, 2025.[3]
Click here for more information about the state legislative maps enacted in Louisiana after the 2020 census..
For a complete overview of redistricting in Louisiana after the 2020 census, click here.
Summary
This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.
- August 13, 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court scheduled Callais for argument on October 15, 2025.
- June 27, 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court scheduled Callais for reargument in its next term.
- March 24, 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais, a pair of appeals from the U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana decision that struck down the state's new congressional map.
- November 4, 2024: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais.
Court challenges
Louisiana v. Callais
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Louisiana v. Callais (formerly Callais v. Landry) consolidated with Robinson v. Callais — two appeals from the U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana decision that struck down the state's new congressional map. The Court noted probable jurisdiction and allotted one hour for oral argument.[4][5] The Court heard oral argument on March 24, 2025, and on June 27, 2025, it scheduled the case for reargument in the fall of 2025.[6]
Callais v. Landry
The U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana struck down the state's new congressional map on April 30, 2024, and scheduled a hearing for May 6, to determine which maps should be used for the 2024 elections. A coalition of Louisiana voters filed the lawsuit in January after the new congressional map was adopted in a special legislative session. The lawsuit argued that the map was a racial gerrymander in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.[7]
As Judges David Joseph and Robert Summerhays wrote in their majority opinion:
| “ | The predominate role of race in the State's decisions is reflected in the statements of legislative decision-makers, the division of cities and parishes along racial lines, the unusual shape of the district, and the evidence that the contours of the district were drawn to absorb sufficient numbers of Black-majority neighborhoods to achieve the goal of a functioning majority-Black district.[8][9] | ” |
Nairne v. Ardoin
On August 14, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's ruling that struck down the state's legislative maps and declared them to be in violation of the Voting Rights Act.[10] The drawing of new maps was stayed pending the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Callais v. Landry.[11]
On February 8, 2024, the U.S. District Court for Middle Louisiana struck down the state's legislative maps and declared them to be in violation of the Voting Rights Act. [12][13] According to the ruling, the court found the following:
| “ | [T]he Enacted State House and Senate Maps crack or pack large and geographically compact minority populations such as Black voters in the challenged districts 'have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice,' and the Illustrative Plan offered by the Plaintiffs show that additional opportunity districts can be 'reasonable configured.'[13][9] | ” |
The U.S. District Court for Middle Louisiana heard the case in a seven-day non-jury trial that began on November 27, 2023. The plaintiffs, who were identified as a group of Black voters and two nonprofit organizations, alleged that the redistricting maps adopted in 2022 for Louisiana's State House and State Senate districts diluted the voting power of Black Louisianans.[13]
For more information about redistricting lawsuits in Louisiana, click here.
Enacted maps
Enacted congressional district maps
On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled Louisiana v. Callais for reargument in its next term.[14] In August 2025, the Court scheduled arguments for October 15, 2025.[15]
The Court first heard oral arguments in the case on March 24, 2025.[16] On November 4, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Louisiana v. Callais (formerly Callais v. Landry) consolidated with Robinson v. Callais — two appeals from the U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana decision that struck down the state's new congressional map. The Court noted probable jurisdiction and allotted one hour for oral argument.[4][5]
On May 15, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked an April 30 ruling by the U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana striking down the state's congressional map. As a result, the map was used for Louisiana’s 2024 congressional elections.[17] According to ScotusBlog,
| “ | In a brief unsigned order the justices blocked a ruling by a federal court that had barred the state from using the new map on the ground that legislators had relied too heavily on race when they drew it earlier this year. The order cited an election doctrine known as the Purcell principle – the idea that courts should not change election rules during the period just before an election because of the confusion that it will cause for voters and the problems that doing so could cause for election officials. The lower court’s order will remain on hold, the court indicated, while an appeal to the Supreme Court moves forward.[17][9] | ” |
Gov. Jeff Landry signed the congressional map into law on January 22 after a special legislative session. The state House of Representatives voted 86-16 and the state Senate voted 27-11 to adopt this congressional map on January 19.[18][19]
According to NPR, "Under the new map, Louisiana's 2nd District, which encompasses much of New Orleans and surrounding areas, will have a Black population of about 53%. Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter represents that district, which has been Louisiana's only majority-Black district for several years. Louisiana's 6th District now stretches from parts of Shreveport to Baton Rouge and will have a Black population of about 56%."[20]
On November 10, 2023, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a 2022 injunction that blocked the implementation of Louisiana’s congressional district maps, for violating the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of African American voters. The court also issued a deadline for the state to enact new maps for the 2024 election cycle.[21] On November 30, 2023, the U.S. District Court for Middle Louisiana extended the deadline for the creation of new maps that comply with the Voting Rights Act to January 30, 2024.[22] Gov. Jeff Landry called a special session of the Louisiana state legislature on January 15, 2024 — days after he assumed office on January 8 — to draw new maps in compliance with the court's order.[23]
Enacted state legislative district maps
On February 19, 2024, the state appealed a U.S. District Court for Middle Louisiana decision that struck down the state's legislative maps.[24]
The lower court's February 8, 2024, ruling found the state's legislative maps to be in violation of the Voting Rights Act.[12][13] According to the ruling, the court found the following:
| “ | [T]he Enacted State House and Senate Maps crack or pack large and geographically compact minority populations such as Black voters in the challenged districts 'have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice,' and the Illustrative Plan offered by the Plaintiffs show that additional opportunity districts can be 'reasonable configured.'[13][9] | ” |
The legislative maps that both chambers passed during a special legislative session in February 2022 became law 20 days after their passage as Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) neither signed not vetoed the redistricting plans. The legislative redistricting plan passed the state Senate, 25-11, with all votes in favor by Republicans and 10 Democrats and one Republican voting against. The state House of Representatives approved it by a 82-21 vote with 68 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and two independents voting in favor and 20 Democrats and one independent voting against.[25][26] After the legislature voted on the maps, Tyler Bridges wrote in The Advocate, "Without much fuss, the Republican-controlled Legislature...approved new district boundaries for the state House and Senate that would maintain GOP legislative dominance for the next decade."[27]
Edwards announced on March 9, 2022, that he would not act on the legislative boundaries, releasing a statement that said, in part, "While neither the congressional or legislative maps passed by Louisiana’s Legislature do anything to increase the number of districts where minority voters can elect candidates of their choosing, I do not believe the Legislature has the ability to draw new state House and Senate maps during this upcoming legislative session without the process halting the important work of the state of Louisiana. At a time when we face unprecedented challenges, but have unprecedented opportunities to make historic investments in our future, the Legislature should be focused on the issues in the upcoming session and not concerned about what their own districts will look like in the 2023 elections."[28]
See also
- Redistricting in Louisiana after the 2020 census
- Redistricting in Louisiana after the 2010 census
- Redistricting in Louisiana
- State-by-state redistricting procedures
- Majority-minority districts
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- All About Redistricting
- Dave's Redistricting
- FiveThirtyEight, "What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State"
- National Conference of State Legislatures, "Redistricting Process"
- FairVote, "Redistricting"
Footnotes
- ↑ NBC News, "Supreme Court wrestles with Louisiana racial gerrymandering claim," March 24, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Illuminator, "U.S. Supreme Court punts Louisiana redistricting case to next term," June 27, 2025
- ↑ United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Office of the Clerk, "Scheduling Notice," October 23, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 SCOTUSblog, "Supreme Court will hear case on second majority-Black district in Louisiana redistricting," November 4, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The American Redistricting Project, "Louisiana v. Callais," November 4, 2024
- ↑ Associated Press, "Supreme Court doesn’t rule on Louisiana’s second majority Black congressional district," June 27, 2025
- ↑ NPR, "Callais - 2024-04-30 Injunction and Reasons for Judgment," April 30, 2024
- ↑ NPR, "Judges block Louisiana's congressional map. A Supreme Court appeal is likely," April 30, 2024
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4WWL, "AG Liz Murril says the Louisiana legislative maps case is now paused," August 14, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Illuminator, "Louisiana’s legislative maps violate Voting Rights Act, 5th Circuit rules," August 14, 2025
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 NOLA.com. "Louisiana must redraw its legislative districts, federal judge rules. Here's why." February 8, 2024
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Twitter. "RedistrictNet," February 8, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Illuminator, "U.S. Supreme Court punts Louisiana redistricting case to next term," June 27, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Illuminator, "U.S. Supreme Court sets date for Louisiana redistricting case rehearing," August 13, 2025
- ↑ NBC News, "Supreme Court wrestles with Louisiana racial gerrymandering claim," March 24, 2025
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 SCOTUSblog, "Court allows Louisiana to move forward with two majority-Black districts," May 15, 2024
- ↑ Roll Call, "Louisiana Legislature passes new congressional map," January 19, 2024
- ↑ Ballotpedia's Legislation Tracker, "Louisiana SB8," accessed January 25, 2024
- ↑ NPR, "After a court fight, Louisiana's new congressional map boosts Black political power," January 23, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Louisiana Must Finalize New Voting Map by January, Federal Appeals Court Says," November 10, 2023
- ↑ AP News, "Louisiana granted extra time to draw new congressional map that complies with Voting Rights Act," December 12, 2023
- ↑ Roll Call, "Louisiana Legislature passes new congressional map," January 19, 2024
- ↑ American Redistricting Project, "Nairne v. Landry," accessed November 20, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "2022 First Extraordinary Session - HB14," accessed February 24, 2022
- ↑ The Advocate. "Legislature ends redistricting session by passing new maps for state House and Senate, PSC and BESE," February 18, 2022
- ↑ The Advocate. "Legislature ends redistricting session by passing new maps for state House and Senate, PSC and BESE," February 18, 2022
- ↑ State of Louisiana, Office of the Governor, "Gov. Edwards Vetoes Proposed Congressional District Map, Announces Other Action on Newly Drawn District Maps," March 9, 2022
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