Redistricting battle expands as Alabama, Tennessee call special sessions
Less than a week after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana’s redistricting case weakened key parts of the Voting Rights Act, Republican governors in Alabama and Tennessee are moving to redraw congressional maps – calling special legislative sessions this week.
Special sessions begin
In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey called lawmakers back to Montgomery starting Monday, aiming to approve plans for new primary elections tied to revised congressional maps.
The state currently sends five Republicans and two Democrats to the U.S. House. New lines could give Republicans a path to all seven seats.
In Tennessee, lawmakers return Tuesday for a special session, where Republicans are targeting the state’s lone Democratic-held district centered on Memphis.
The GOP already holds an 8-to-1 advantage in the state’s House delegation.
Fallout from Supreme Court ruling
The push follows the Supreme Court’s decision striking down a majority-Black district in Louisiana, ruling that race played too large a role in how it was drawn.
The decision has set off a rapid response across multiple states, with both parties looking to adjust maps ahead of midterms – now just six months away. Republicans currently hold a narrow 218 to 213 majority in the House, with four vacancies.
In Louisiana, officials have delayed a scheduled congressional primary as new maps are considered. Democrats and civil rights groups have filed lawsuits challenging the changes.
Republicans there have already begun redrawing districts that could reshape seats held by Black Democratic lawmakers. The current delegation stands at four Republicans and two Democrats.
Political reaction
President Donald Trump urged state legislatures to act quickly following the ruling on Truth Social Sunday.
“We should demand that State Legislatures do what the Supreme Court says must be done,” Trump wrote. “That is more important than administrative convenience. The byproduct is that the Republicans will receive more than 20 House Seats in the upcoming Midterms!”
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, sharply criticized the decision Sunday, warning it allows politicians to redraw districts in ways that weaken voter influence.
“They said we’re going to allow partisan politicians to gerrymander you,” Warnock said. “So that even when you show up, your voice won’t have as much impact because we’ll play with the lines.”
Broader redistricting battle
The fight is playing out nationwide.
In Florida, lawmakers recently approved new maps that favor Republicans in four districts currently held by Democrats.
Texas has already passed revised maps expected to add GOP seats, while California voters approved a measure aimed at offsetting those gains by reshaping districts to favor Democrats.
Other states, including North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Missouri, have also redrawn maps in the past year, intensifying the battle for control of the House.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
