SCOTUS Order on Louisiana Congressional Maps Opens Doors for Democrats 

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for Louisiana to redraw its congressional maps to include a second majority-Black district, a result of the Allen v. Milligan decision earlier this month that ruled Alabama had diluted Black voting power in its own congressional maps. 

The court dismissed an appeal from the state of Louisiana to block a lawsuit that argued the state’s maps violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voters — the latest in a string of redistricting lawsuits that could potentially decide control of the House in 2024. 

“Another post-Milligan domino falls, with Democrats standing to see a net gain of 2 House seats across AL and LA,” said Inside Elections analyst Jacob Rubushkin in a tweet following the decision.

The dismissal moves the case back to a lower court before the 2024 election, according to the order issued on Monday morning.

The initial complaint, filed by civil rights groups in Louisiana, alleged that the state’s latest congressional maps “[continued] the State of Louisiana’s long history of maximizing political power for white citizens by disenfranchising and discriminating against Black Louisianans.” Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed those maps, but the Republican-led state legislature overrode that veto. 

This comes as both Democrats and Republicans are preparing for an intense battle over control of the U.S. House of Representatives — as Republicans currently hold only a slim majority, every district counts. There are multiple other states in the region that could see similar rulings in the future, including Georgia and Texas. 

The dismissal was expected following the court’s ruling on Allen v Milligan where the court ruled Alabama's congressional voting map's single Black majority district had diluted the voting power of the Black population of the state, a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. 

Democrats celebrated the ruling, including the Louisiana Democrats who wrote on Twitter: “Louisiana voters deserve fair maps that guarantee equal representation—and it looks like we’re going to get them!”

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) called the order "GREAT news for Louisiana" in a tweet.

Abha Khanna — a partner at Elias Law Group and counsel for some of the respondents — said in a statement dismissing the case meant the Supreme Court “once again affirmed the power of the Voting Rights Act to prevent racially discriminatory redistricting.”