WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court will hear a pivotal case involving Black voters that could determine which party controls the House of Representatives.
This case addresses contentious issues of race and politics by challenging a Louisiana congressional map that established a second Black majority district.
The conservative-dominated court previously heard this case last term but unusually deferred a ruling and scheduled it for re-argument this session.
African-Americans, who predominantly vote Democratic, constitute one-third of Louisiana’s population across its six congressional districts.
Following the 2020 census, Louisiana adopted a new map containing only one Black majority district instead of the previous two.
The American Civil Liberties Union and others sued, alleging the map diluted Black voting power and violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
The Louisiana legislature introduced a new map last year with two Black majority districts, prompting a legal challenge from non-African-American voters.
Opponents argue that using race to design districts constitutes racial gerrymandering forbidden by the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
ACLU attorney Sophia Lin Lakin stated that the stakes are incredibly high for both Louisiana’s map and future redistricting cases nationwide.
Republicans currently hold a slim House majority, and changes in Black majority districts could influence the 2026 midterm elections.
A report by Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter warns that weakening Voting Rights Act protections could give Republicans 19 additional House seats.
They claim this could cement one-party control of the US House for at least a generation.
The Louisiana case unfolds amid redistricting efforts in both Republican and Democratic states.
Republican-led Texas is drawing new maps expected to flip up to five House seats from Democrats to Republicans.
Several Latino or Black districts that Donald Trump lost in 2024 were broken up to dilute Democratic support.
Democratic leaders in California launched a redistricting push to counter potential Republican gains, subject to a statewide referendum. – AFP
