GOP's Callais-Fueled Gerrymander Blitz Hits Two Speed Bumps

The Supreme Court decision on April 29 prompted Republican governors and legislators to move quickly to halt elections and redraw maps. The changes are expected to pose a long-term existential threat to Black representation in Congress and state legislatures. The 2026 election cycle may be less affected than initially feared because election calendars limit how quickly maps can be rewritten in some states. Georgia and Mississippi postponed major redistricting actions this cycle, while Alabama and Louisiana removed one majority-Black district rather than two. South Carolina’s rushed redistricting effort failed after early voting began for the June 9 primary, preventing some senators from completing map changes. Alabama also faces new complications affecting gerrymandering efforts.

"Nearly a month later, it's clearer than ever that Callais and its implementation will pose an existential threat to Black representation in Congress and state legislatures for years to come. But its impact on the 2026 election cycle is perhaps not as dire as it looked a couple of weeks ago. The election calendar has made it difficult for Republicans to rip up congressional maps in some states."

"The GOP governors of Georgia and Mississippi decided to postpone bringing down the hammer in this election cycle, though a gerrymander prior to 2028 is a virtual certainty in both states (Georgia governor Brian Kemp is planning a special gerrymandering session a bit later this year, just in case a Democrat wins the race to succeed him in November)."

"In Alabama and Louisiana, Republicans chose to take out one majority-Black district instead of two. And now there are new complications affecting gerrymanders in both South Carolina and Alabama. In the Palmetto State, a rushed gerrymandering effort reluctantly convened under pressure from Trump by Governor Henry McMaster ran aground today when the arrival of early voting for the state's June 9 primary convinced some Republican state senators it was too late to redraw congressional maps."

"South Carolina Republicans defied President Donald Trump and blocked a redistricting measure that would have drawn out the state's lone Democrat, Rep. Jim Clyburn ... A procedural vote to end debate on the map early failed in the state Senate 24-20, with 12 Republicans joining all Demo"

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