Redistricting Wave Accelerates: Georgia and South Carolina Call Special Sessions, Mississippi Cancels One, Louisiana Eliminates Second Black District

The Map Is Moving Fast — Here's What Just Changed

Since our last coverage, four states made major moves in the same week. Here's what happened state by state.

Georgia: Kemp Calls a Special Session — For 2028

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) issued a proclamation calling for a special legislative session to redraw the state's congressional maps, according to The Hill. The catch: these new maps are targeted for the 2028 elections, not 2026.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Kemp had previously indicated Georgia would not hold a redistricting session this year. Something changed. Pressure from state and party officials, combined with the post-Louisiana v. Callais landscape, pushed him off that position.

Georgia has a Republican-controlled legislature and several competitive districts. If Kemp's session produces new maps, Democrats defending seats in the Atlanta suburbs should start paying attention now, not in 2027.

South Carolina: McMaster Moving Fast

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) is planning to call lawmakers back for a special session next week, according to multiple reports cited by The Hill. The goal: a new congressional map that would wholly favor Republicans.

This is a sharp reversal. Our previous coverage noted that South Carolina Republicans actually preserved Rep. Jim Clyburn's (D) district. That goodwill appears to be expiring. The new map being discussed would eliminate that protection. No final text has been released publicly, but the direction is clear.

South Carolina moving fast means maps could be locked in before any serious legal challenge can stop the 2026 cycle.

Mississippi: Reeves Pulls the Plug

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) canceled the state's redistricting special session on Wednesday, according to The Hill. The session had been called to redraw three State Supreme Court voting districts.

The NCSL tracker notes that Reeves had originally tied the session to a timeline 21 days after the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision. That decision landed April 29. Now the session is gone.

Reeves offered no explanation for the reversal. When a governor calls a session and then cancels it without explanation, something happened behind closed doors.

Louisiana: Senate Votes to Erase a Majority-Black District

Louisiana state senators voted early Wednesday morning to eliminate one of the state's two majority-Black congressional districts, according to The Hill. This follows directly from the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which struck down Louisiana's existing maps for relying too heavily on race in drawing the second majority-Black district.

The Supreme Court said Louisiana officials drew District 6 primarily by race, and the Court ruled that unconstitutional. Republicans in the legislature are now using that ruling to collapse both majority-Black districts into one.

Black residents make up roughly one-third of Louisiana's population, according to WISN's data team. Under the new map, they'd have meaningful influence over just one of six congressional districts. Under Callais, the Court limited how aggressively the Voting Rights Act can require proportional representation.

The Bigger Picture: 8 States, 6 Republican Gains

According to WISN and the NCSL tracker, eight states have now enacted new congressional maps since this wave started in July 2025. Six of those maps favor Republicans. Two favor Democrats — California being the major one, where Democrats could pick up five seats.

The net projected gain for Republicans from redistricting alone: up to eight additional House seats, per WISN's analysis. In a chamber where the current margin is razor-thin, that's a potential majority-maker before a single vote is cast in November 2026.

States with enacted maps: California, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

Tennessee stands out. Less than two weeks after Louisiana v. Callais, Tennessee passed a redistricting plan that splits Memphis — a majority-Black city — across three Republican districts. According to WISN, that move happened in direct response to the Supreme Court ruling.

The CBC's Warning: 19 Members at Risk

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) told reporters Tuesday that 19 CBC members are now at risk from Republican-led redistricting efforts. "It's devastating," Clarke said, according to The Hill.

If redistricting eliminates or cracks majority-minority districts in Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, and potentially Georgia, the downstream effect on Black congressional representation is measurable and significant.

Both Parties Playing the Same Game

Most mainstream coverage is framing this entirely as a Republican power grab. California Democrats drew maps specifically to flip five Republican-held seats. Both parties are playing this game, and the framing should match the facts.

Also underplayed: the Louisiana v. Callais ruling fundamentally changed what the Voting Rights Act can and cannot require. That's a massive legal shift, and its full consequences are only beginning to show up in state legislatures.

What's at Stake

If you live in Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, or any of the eight states that have redrawn maps, your congressional district may look completely different by 2026 — or 2028. Your incumbent may be gone. Your vote may land in a district designed to dilute it or amplify it, depending on the state.

This is the largest mid-decade redistricting wave since the 1800s, according to the NCSL. Politicians in both parties are drawing lines to protect themselves and their teams. The only people who didn't get a vote on any of this are the ones who actually have to live with it.