Southern Republicans redistrict after Supreme Court rules, Dems lose big in Virginia

"The Supreme Court of Virginia Friday nullified the results of a special election on April 21, where 1.6 million Virginians approved redistricting that Democrats hoped would win them four more House seats. In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the legislature followed the wrong process for putting the question, an amendment to the state constitution, on the ballot."

"Meanwhile, Southern Republicans rushed to redraw their states' congressional voting maps after an April 29 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which weakened voting rights protections for minority communities. The Louisiana v. Callais ruling has remade the redistricting race that President Trump began last year to help Republicans hold on to the U.S. House this fall."

"In Louisiana, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the May 6 primaries for Congress, after early votes had already been cast. Republican-led legislatures in Alabama and Tennessee started special redistricting sessions within four days of the ruling. South Carolina Republicans have started steps toward redrawing there."

"Civil rights activists and Democratic lawmakers have said the redistricting dilutes the voting power of Black voters, harkening back to the south's history before the movement for civil rights. Voting rights groups have been planning and filing lawsuits saying to try to stop these states from going forward."

Virginia’s Supreme Court invalidated a special election held April 21 that approved redistricting, removing a Democratic effort to gain four additional House seats. The court issued a 4-3 ruling stating the legislature used the wrong process to place a constitutional amendment question on the ballot. After an April 29 U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened voting rights protections for minority communities, Southern Republicans accelerated redistricting across multiple states. Louisiana suspended congressional primaries after early voting had begun, while Alabama and Tennessee convened special redistricting sessions quickly. South Carolina began steps toward redrawing maps. Civil rights activists and Democratic lawmakers argued the changes dilute Black voting power, and voting rights groups prepared lawsuits to block implementation.

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