Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is preparing to suspend the state's May 16 congressional primary elections to give lawmakers time to redraw district lines, according to people familiar with the Republican's plans who spoke to The Washington Post on Thursday. The move follows a major Supreme Court ruling issued Wednesday.
The high court's 6-3 decision found that Louisiana had unlawfully used race when it created a second majority-Black congressional district, limiting a key element of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling could reshape representation across the South and potentially benefit Republicans as they seek to maintain their narrow U.S. House majority.
Landry told Republican House candidates he intends to halt the primaries so the legislature can approve a new map before voting takes place.
The suspension could be announced imminently, just as early voting is set to begin, and it may affect only House races or extend to other contests.
Ballots have already been distributed to overseas voters, raising logistical and legal questions.
Election law experts say the plan, while highly unusual, may withstand federal legal scrutiny. "It's naked partisanship," UCLA law professor Richard Hasen told the outlet, "but under the Supreme Court's approach to voting now, naked partisanship is more of a defense than an indictment."
Challenges are more likely to arise under state law.
The episode underscores an intensifying national battle over redistricting ahead of the midterms.
While congressional maps are typically redrawn once per decade following the census, both parties have increasingly pursued midcycle changes to gain a political advantage.
Republicans have already secured favorable shifts in multiple states, while Democrats have responded in kind through their own redraws and litigation, most notably in California.
Louisiana, which has six House seats, two held by Democrats, could become a rare case of late-stage redistricting before the upcoming elections, potentially altering the balance of power in Congress.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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