
Louisiana has suspended its congressional primaries after the Supreme Court ruled the state’s congressional map unconstitutional due to racial gerrymandering.
Supreme Court Hands Republicans A Major Win In Louisiana Map Fight
“Yesterday’s historic Supreme Court victory for Louisiana has an immediate consequence for the State. The Supreme Court previously stayed an injunction against the State’s enforcement of the current Congressional map. By the Court’s order, however, that stay automatically terminated with yesterday’s decision. Accordingly, the State is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map. We are working together with the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s office to develop a path forward,” Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a joint statement.
Governor Jeff Landry and @AGLizMurrill issued the following statement after yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.
“Yesterday’s historic Supreme Court victory for Louisiana has an immediate consequence for the State. The Supreme Court previously stayed an…
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) April 30, 2026
Early voting had been scheduled to begin on Saturday for the May 16 primary.
More from the Associated Press:
While civil rights activists denounced the potential for diminished minority representation in Congress, top Republicans cited the Supreme Court’s decision as justification to spur an already intense national redistricting battle among states before the November elections.
“I think all states who have unconstitutional maps should look at that very carefully, and I think they should do it before the midterm,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters in Washington.
Louisiana’s election suspension was denounced by some Democrats and questioned by some legal experts.
“This is going to cause mass confusion among voters — Democrats, Republicans, white, Black, everybody,” said Louisiana state Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat who represents the New Orleans area. “What they’re effectively doing is changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game. It’s rigging the system.”
While Louisiana officials may legally be able to move the primary, it’s not accurate to assert that it was blocked by the Supreme Court’s decision, said Ruth Greenwood, director of the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School.
State Rep. Kyle Green, a former assistant state attorney general who is chair of the House Democratic caucus, also cast doubt on the legal justification for postponing the congressional primary.
“Thank you to the Great Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, for his leadership on the very important Callais case, and for moving so quickly to fix the Unconstitutionality of Louisiana’s Congressional Maps. He has shown tremendous Vision, Strength, and Leadership. Thank you Jeff, keep up the GREAT work!” Trump said.
“If there is one thing the Republican Party should learn from President @realDonaldTrump — it’s to FIGHT! That’s exactly what we are doing in Louisiana. Thank you for your support Mr. President!” Landry responded.
If there is one thing the Republican Party should learn from President @realDonaldTrump— it’s to FIGHT!
That’s exactly what we are doing in Louisiana. Thank you for your support Mr. President! pic.twitter.com/W4rbcTuPp9
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) April 30, 2026
NBC News shared further:
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry announced Thursday that while the U.S. House primaries would be “suspended,” all other races, including the state’s hotly contested Senate primary, “will continue as scheduled.”
NBC News had reported earlier Thursday that Gov. Jeff Landry had planned to delay the House races in light of Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling.
Absentee voting for the May 16 primary is already underway in Louisiana, and early voting had been set to start for all races this weekend. The last-minute move means that the House races will still be on voters’ ballots, but any votes in those elections won’t count.
The move to halt voting for the House primaries could face legal scrutiny. But Republicans are confident they’ll be able to press pause on the process because the Supreme Court’s ruling directly labeled Louisiana’s congressional lines an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Thursday that “the governor has no choice but to suspend” the May 16 primary “because the courts just ruled our map unconstitutional.”