The Ruling
On April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais that struck down Louisiana's congressional map and significantly limited the scope of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Court ruled that Louisiana's 2024 map, which contained a second majority-Black congressional district, amounted to an unconstitutional racial gerrymander in violation of the 14th Amendment's equal protection guarantee.
Background of the Case
After the 2020 census, Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature drew a map with Black voters comprising a majority in only one district despite being roughly a third of the state's population. Black voters sued in 2022 under the Voting Rights Act, arguing the map diluted their voting power. A federal judge agreed and ordered a new map with a second majority-Black district. Non-Black voters then challenged this remedial map, claiming voters were unconstitutionally sorted by race. The case proceeded to the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in March 2025 and held rare second arguments in October 2025, focusing on whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act itself was constitutional.
Narrowing the Voting Rights Act
The decision narrows how states can consider race when drawing congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. Conservative justices appeared skeptical during arguments about maintaining Section 2 of the VRA as written, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh and others suggesting Congress may have intended a sunset period for the provision. The ruling constrains states' ability to use race as a factor in redistricting, fundamentally shifting the legal landscape for voting rights protection.
The District in Question
The second majority-Black district at the center of the dispute stretched diagonally across Louisiana from Shreveport to Baton Rouge. Louisiana officials explained the irregular shape was necessary to preserve safe seats for House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and House Appropriations Committee member Julia Letlow. This district had been used in the 2024 election, where Black Democrat Cleo Fields won the seat.
National Implications
Legal experts warned the ruling could have staggering implications for 2026 and beyond. A recent report from Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund estimates that an overhaul of the VRA could swing approximately 12 Democratic-held House districts in favor of Republican candidates. Civil rights advocates warned that weakening the VRA further erodes protections for minority voters at a time when Republican-led states have aggressively pushed new congressional maps ahead of the midterms. 
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