The Supreme Court's voting rights ruling could put seven Democrat House seats in play, according to two nonpartisan election handicappers.
Both Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball, which is published by the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, identified seven districts that could be at risk of turning red — two in Louisiana, two in Alabama, one in Mississippi, one in Tennessee, and one in South Carolina.
"It certainly appears possible, perhaps even likely, that these Republican states will be able to draw out all or some of their Democratic-held seats, if not in 2026 then 2028," Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, said in the analysis.
"A new map by the GOP legislature is almost certain to result in at least one Republican pickup, though it's unclear whether that can occur in time for the 2026 election," Amy Walter and Matthew Klein wrote for the Cook Political Report.
"There are still a lot of unanswered questions swirling around this decision, especially its impact on the 2026 midterm election."
The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district in a decision that could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress.
In a 6-3 ruling, the court's conservative majority found that the district, represented by Democrat Rep. Cleo Fields, relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the district as a "snake" that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.
It’s unclear how much of the provision, known as Section 2, remains, but the ruling could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress.
President Donald Trump has already touched off a nationwide redistricting battle to boost Republican chances.
The president said he would want Republican state officials to revise congressional maps. Still, he was not initially aware of what had happened.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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