Louisiana legislature approves congressional maps with 2 majority-black districts

The party has faced comparable setbacks in other states such as New York, where the Court of Appeals tossed the 2022 map and ordered the Independent Redistricting Committee to draft another.

By Ben Whedon

Published: January 19, 2024 7:46pm

The Louisiana legislature on Friday approved a new congressional district map that featured two majority-black districts after a court ordered their redrawing.

The legislature in 2022 overrode the veto of then-Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards to implement a map with a single majority-black district. The map prompted legal scrutiny and an appeals court eventually rejected it in November, according to The Hill.

The new district lines alter the state's 6th Congressional District to make the majority black, the outlet reported Friday. The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Garret Graves, who will likely face a rough reelection campaign due to the district's constituency shift.

Republicans currently enjoy a slim majority in the House of Representatives and the potential loss of Graves could imperil their hopes of retaining control after the 2024 midterms.

The party has faced comparable setbacks in other states such as New York, where the Court of Appeals tossed the 2022 map and ordered the Independent Redistricting Committee to draft another. The GOP picked up several competitive House seats in the Empire State in 2022 under a court-imposed map.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.