Alabama and Tennessee Launch Special Sessions, South Carolina Expected to Follow as Post-VRA Redistricting Wave Accelerates

The map-redrawing machine is running at full speed with real deadlines, real special sessions, and real elections caught in the crossfire.

As of early May 2026, Alabama, Tennessee, and potentially South Carolina are all moving forward with special legislative sessions focused on congressional redistricting ahead of the November midterms.

Alabama and Tennessee: Special Sessions Are Live

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey announced she is calling a special legislative session — starting Monday — specifically to change the state's U.S. House map before the November midterms, according to PBS NewsHour/Associated Press reporting by David A. Lieb dated May 2, 2026.

She is betting the Supreme Court will allow it, though that remains uncertain.

In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced his own special session targeting the state's only Democratic-held House district, which is centered on Memphis — a majority-Black city. The express purpose is to eliminate the one district Democrats hold in the state.

Louisiana's Primary Is Already Suspended

Louisiana is the furthest along — and the messiest.

Gov. Jeff Landry moved Thursday to postpone the state's congressional primary while letting other races proceed as scheduled. Early in-person voting was already underway when he pulled the trigger, according to PBS NewsHour.

Three lawsuits followed within 48 hours. One, filed on behalf of a Democratic congressional candidate and voters, asked federal court to block Landry's order. Two more hit state court — one from voters who had already cast absentee ballots, another from civil rights organizations. The core legal question: did Landry have the authority to suspend the primary at all?

That is an active legal fight as of this writing. The outcome remains unclear.

South Carolina Next in Line

According to NBC News reporting dated May 13, 2026, local outlets are reporting that South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to call a special session of his own. That has not been officially confirmed, but the signal is clear.

The Wikipedia tracking of 2025–2026 redistricting lists South Carolina among states that unsuccessfully attempted redistricting earlier — meaning this would be a second run at it post-VRA ruling.

The Scoreboard So Far

According to Wikipedia's running tally of 2025–2026 redistricting, new maps are currently in effect in California, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. Alabama is planned but not yet finalized. Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, New York, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin all attempted redistricting and failed.

Virginia's attempt was struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court. Democrats, who passed a constitutional amendment to redraw their districts, saw it invalidated.

Eight states have adopted new House maps. That number is almost certainly going up.

Trump's Fingerprints Are on This

According to Wikipedia's documented timeline, President Donald Trump personally pressured Texas Republicans to redraw congressional districts to benefit the party. Texas complied. Missouri and North Carolina followed. California responded with its own Democratic gerrymander. Then the cascade began.

Now Trump is actively pressuring Tennessee and other states to redistrict ahead of November, per PBS NewsHour. This represents a coordinated national strategy rather than a series of independent state decisions.

The Broader Picture

Left-leaning outlets are framing this almost entirely as Republican aggression. That framing is incomplete. California deliberately gerrymandered its map to benefit Democrats. Virginia tried and failed. Democrats are not passive observers here — they are players who are currently losing.

Right-leaning coverage is treating this as a clean win. The reality is more complicated. Lawsuits are flying. Landry's suspension of Louisiana's primary is legally contested. Alabama is betting on a Supreme Court that may not cooperate on timing. The legal exposure for these states is significant and largely being ignored.

NBC News has noted that Democrats have "full control of state government in fewer places than Republicans," and in several of those states, commissions draw the maps, not lawmakers — meaning even winning the governorship does not automatically unlock redistricting power.

Democrats Are Already Planning for 2028

Democrats have largely accepted they cannot mount an effective redistricting counteroffensive before November 2026. Their official strategy, according to NBC News reporting by Adam Edelman, is to win state legislative chambers in Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin this fall to set up map redraws for 2028.

In Oregon and Washington, Democrats are hunting for legislative supermajorities to lock in power.

Meanwhile, Republicans are playing the short game — and right now, they are winning it.

What This Means for Voters

If you voted in Louisiana's congressional primary by absentee ballot before Landry suspended the election, your ballot is now in legal limbo. For everyone else: the House majority in November will be partly decided by maps being drawn right now in special sessions, under legal pressure, with the explicit goal of eliminating competitive districts. Fewer competitive races means less accountability, which means worse representation.