Louisiana advances congressional map with reduced Black representation
Summary
Louisiana senators approved a new congressional map that reduces the number of majority-Black districts from two to one. This change will force two current Black representatives, Troy Carter and Cleo Fields, to compete for the same seat.Key Facts
- Louisiana currently has six U.S. House districts: four majority-white and two majority-Black.
- The new map cuts the majority-Black districts from two to one.
- The map was passed by a Senate committee with a 4-3 vote.
- The approved map was proposed by Republican Sen. Jay Morris and stretches the single majority-Black district from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.
- An alternative map, favored by many residents and proposed by Democrat Sen. Ed Price, would have kept two "opportunity" districts allowing Black voters chances to elect representatives of their choice.
- Gov. Jeff Landry suspended Louisiana’s U.S. House elections on April 30 following a Supreme Court case, creating urgency to redraw the map before the June 1 legislative session deadline.
- Lawmakers debated the proposals during a nearly 10-hour session that ended early Wednesday morning.
- Another proposed map to eliminate all majority-Black districts did not gain support and was not advanced.
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