Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Saturday that Democrats face "a fight ahead of us" as Republican-led Southern states move to redraw congressional maps following the Supreme Court's decision narrowing a core enforcement tool of the Voting Rights Act.
This ruling has prompted Louisiana's governor to suspend U.S. House primaries, Tennessee's governor to convene a special session, and Mississippi's governor to call lawmakers back to Jackson.
The Supreme Court on April 29 ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana's congressional map, which contained a second majority-Black district, was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, declined to strike down Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act outright but narrowed its application in redistricting cases.
Justice Elena Kagan, in dissent, wrote that the decision renders Section 2 "all but a dead letter."
Speaking with CNN's Victor Blackwell, Thompson tied the ruling to redistricting plans taking shape in GOP-controlled states.
"So, clearly, we have a fight ahead of us," Thompson said, according to The Hill.
"Those of us who have been in this fight forever will continue to. In most of these states, Victor, nobody has said this, all of these districts were drawn by Republicans and approved by Republican legislatures," Thompson said.
Thompson, who represents Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District and is the only Black member of the state's congressional delegation, said Black residents make up 38% of Mississippi's population and should retain at least one House seat.
He said the ruling "has moved us back over 60 years."
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, announced on April 24 that he would call lawmakers into a special session 21 days after the Callais decision, setting the target date for May 20.
The session was called to address state Supreme Court districts after a federal judge ruled that the existing map violated the Voting Rights Act, but Republican state Auditor Shad White and state Sen. Kevin Blackwell have publicly urged the Legislature to also use the session to redraw Thompson's congressional district.
In Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry, also a Republican, signed an executive order on April 30 suspending the May 16 U.S. House primary and the June 27 runoff until July 15 or a date set by the Legislature.
Landry and Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill said the court's decision bars the state "from carrying out congressional elections under the current map."
Civil rights groups, Democratic lawmakers, and a congressional candidate have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the suspension; one state judge denied a temporary restraining order Friday.
GOP Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called a special session to begin May 5 to review the state's congressional map.
Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball each identified seven Democratic-held districts in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina that could be redrawn to favor Republicans, though both flagged timing constraints that could delay any effects until 2028.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., urged Alabama's attorney general to seek a redrawn map; Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., called for a session targeting Rep. Steve Cohen's Memphis-based district.
As of May 2, 2026, the Callais judgment has not been formally certified by the court, and litigation over Landry's election order is active in state and federal courts.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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