Supreme Court’s Callais Ruling Undermines Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act

On April 29 2026 the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, held that Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and that Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act no longer applies, permitting partisan map-drawing without federal review.

Mother Jones

Section 2 has been the sole remaining tool to challenge racially discriminatory maps after the Court’s 2013 pre-clearance repeal and the *Rucho* decision that barred federal review of partisan gerrymanders.

Mother Jones

Analysts project a Republican gain of one to two House seats, up to three or four; the Associated Press notes over a dozen minority-held seats could be at risk. In Louisiana, Black voters comprise roughly one-third of the population but the state has only one majority-Black district among six seats.

WANE - Fort Wayne News

Justice Elena Kagan’s dissent warned that the ruling would undermine the constitutional right to racial equality in voting. President Donald Trump thanked Justice Alito on Truth Social, calling it a major win. Gov. Jeff Landry said the opinion affirms states’ authority to draw districts for political reasons. CBC chair Yvette Clarke said the decision would enable coordinated attacks on Black voters.

Daily Beast

Democratic leaders called the opinion a dismantling of the Act’s core protections. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries called it voter suppression, and Rep. Terri Sewell urged nationwide mobilization. Critics say the decision replaces civil-rights safeguards with naked partisanship, risking further erosion of minority representation.

Mother Jones

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Rep. Cleo Fields and Rep. Troy Carter, called the ruling a devastating blow to democracy. New Orleans resident Thomas Johnson expressed embarrassment at the attack on minorities.

The Black Caucus is the 'conscience of Congress.' Supreme Court ruling has it bracing for a big hit

Some sources say the Court preserved a central tenet of the Voting Rights Act, while others claim it effectively struck down Section 2. Estimates of seats lost differ, reflecting divergent expert projections.

Mother Jones

• “I dissent because the court’s decision will set back the foundational right of Congress granted of racial equality in electoral opportunity.” — Elena Kagan, Associate Justice, Supreme Court

Daily Beast

• “Thank you to brilliant Justice Samuel Alito for authoring this important and appropriate Opinion. Congratulations!” — Donald Trump, Former President

Daily Beast

• “The Supreme Court has opened the door to a coordinated attack on Black voters across the country,” — Yvette Clarke, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus

The Black Caucus is the 'conscience of Congress.' Supreme Court ruling has it bracing for a big hit

• “I would be surprised if we do not see former slave-holding states moving at lightning speed to target districts that provide Black voters and other voters of color an equal opportunity to elect candidates,” — Kristen Clarke, General Counsel, NAACP

The Black Caucus is the 'conscience of Congress.' Supreme Court ruling has it bracing for a big hit

Louisiana’s legislature will draft a new congressional map before the May primary; Republican leaders in Tennessee, Florida and other Southern states have announced parallel redistricting plans. Litigation is likely to intensify ahead of the 2028 elections, and Democratic strategists stress voter-turnout drives as a countermeasure.

Daily Beast