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Republican leaders in several Southern states are accelerating the redrawing of U.S. House districts as the 2026 midterm elections approach. The effort follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that curtailed the Voting Rights Act’s protections for minority voters, a legal shift that GOP officials say opens the door for more aggressive map changes.
In Tennessee, a state court panel heard arguments from the NAACP alleging that the legislature exceeded its authority by repealing a law that prohibited mid‑decade redistricting. Lawmakers argue the new map, which would redraw a Memphis‑based, majority‑Black district, could give Republicans a chance to sweep all nine of the state’s seats.
Louisiana’s map was struck down by the Supreme Court as an illegal racial gerrymander that included two majority‑Black districts held by Democrats. The state House is expected to debate a revised map next week that would significantly reshape one of those districts, while the Senate pushes a competing version. If the two chambers cannot agree, a joint committee may negotiate a compromise before the June 1 session ends. Gov. Jeff Landry has postponed the state’s May 16 congressional primary to give lawmakers more time.
South Carolina’s Governor Henry McMaster convened a special legislative session to consider redistricting. The Republican‑controlled House passed a plan early Wednesday that would improve the party’s odds of winning the state’s only Democratic‑held seat. Senators have met for a third consecutive day and aim to hold a final vote on Tuesday after extensive debate. Primary voting begins that same day, and Democrats hope early voting pressure will sway the outcome. “These votes on Tuesday matter more than they ever have before,” Democratic Sen. Jeffrey Graham said.
In Alabama, federal judges are hearing a request to block the use of the 2023 congressional map, which Republicans say could give the party an additional seat. The map had previously been ordered to change after the Supreme Court’s Louisiana decision, but the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU argue the new map remains intentionally discriminatory against Black voters. Alabama’s primary elections occurred on May 19, but new congressional primaries are slated for August under the contested boundaries.
Republicans point to the potential for up to 15 extra seats across seven states, a figure cited by GOP analysts after President Donald Trump urged Republican‑led states to redraw districts now to protect the party’s narrow House majority. Democrats counter that the new maps could only net six additional seats for them in two states.
The rapid pace of these changes raises concerns about voter confusion and the capacity of election officials to implement new district lines in time for the November ballot. Legal battles are expected to continue through the summer, and the outcome could significantly reshape the partisan balance in the U.S. House of Representatives heading into the 2026 midterms.