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The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to review a dispute over Louisiana's congressional map, which features two majority-Black voting districts. The case examines potential conflicts between the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, setting the stage for a significant ruling on race and redistricting.

la election map justice review : Background of the Louisiana Redistricting Dispute

The controversy began in early 2022 when voting rights advocates, including Power Coalition for Equity & Justice and the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP, filed a lawsuit against the state. They argued that the congressional map, drawn based on the 2020 census, violated Section 2 of the VRA by diluting the influence of Black voters. Although Louisiana’s Black population had increased, lawmakers included only one majority-Black district in the map.

A federal judge in the Middle District of Louisiana found the map likely unconstitutional and ordered state lawmakers to create a second majority-Black district. Louisiana initially resisted, but after a Fifth Circuit ruling in November 2023 affirmed the decision, state legislators adopted a revised map with two majority-Black districts out of six. The revised map allowed Republican incumbents, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, to retain their seats but put other seats, such as Rep. Garret Graves’, at risk.

Competing Lawsuits and Equal Protection Concerns

Shortly after Louisiana’s governor signed the new map into law, a group of 12 non-Black voters, led by Philip Callais, filed a legal challenge. They argued that race had been made the predominant factor in the redistricting process, violating the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. They pointed out that Louisiana’s revised 6th District bears a close resemblance to a district struck down in 1996 for racial gerrymandering. According to the plaintiffs, the new 6th District connects Black communities from Baton Rouge to Shreveport, disregarding natural community boundaries.

In April, a panel of three judges in the Western District of Louisiana sided with Callais, barring the state from using the revised map for upcoming elections. The panel stated that the state could have met its redistricting goals without relying predominantly on race to draw district lines. However, the Supreme Court allowed Louisiana to use the disputed map for the 2024 election cycle in a 6-3 decision.

la election map justice review : Appeals and Supreme Court Review

The Power Coalition and other Black voters argued that Louisiana’s revised map should stand, as it complies with the VRA’s intent and respects the state’s discretion in correcting unconstitutional maps. They also contended that the district court’s ruling restricted Louisiana’s ability to address voter dilution claims, creating an unwarranted barrier to VRA compliance. Louisiana’s current Secretary of State Nancy Landry joined the defense, emphasizing the importance of finalizing election policies well in advance, as established in Purcell v. Gonzalez.

In response, Callais and the non-Black plaintiffs labeled the revised map "morally repugnant," asserting that the state’s motives to remedy the VRA claims did not justify an allegedly unconstitutional design.

Legal Teams Representing the Parties

The state of Louisiana is represented by J. Benjamin Aguiñaga and Morgan Brungard of the Louisiana Department of Justice. The Black voters are represented by a legal team that includes attorneys from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP, and the ACLU, along with several civil rights advocates. The non-Black voters, led by Callais, are represented by Edward D. Greim of Graves Garrett Greim LLC and Paul Loy Hurd.

This case not only tackles the balance between protecting minority voting rights and adhering to equal protection principles but also questions how states can remedy VRA violations without violating the Constitution. The Supreme Court’s decision, anticipated next term, could have wide-reaching implications for future redistricting efforts nationwide.