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Louisiana Congressional Primaries Suspended Amid Legal Disputes Following Supreme Court Ruling

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Louisiana Suspends U.S. House Primaries After Supreme Court Ruling on Racial Gerrymandering

Louisiana's U.S. House primary elections, originally scheduled for May 16, have been suspended by Governor Jeff Landry after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state's current congressional map constitutes an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

The suspension has prompted legal challenges from voting rights groups and a Democratic candidate, while other races, including U.S. Senate primaries, remain on schedule.

Background and Supreme Court Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, struck down a congressional district with a majority-nonwhite voting population. The Court ruled that Louisiana officials relied too heavily on race when drawing District 6, currently represented by Democrat Cleo Fields.

The state had adopted a new House map in 2024 that created a second majority-Black district after a previous map was struck down. Louisiana currently has four Republican and two Democratic U.S. House representatives.

Election Suspension

On Thursday, April 10, Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order suspending only the U.S. House primaries. According to the Governor and Attorney General Liz Murrill, the Supreme Court ruling prohibits the state from holding elections under the current district map.

Key details of the suspension:

  • Early voting for U.S. House races, which was set to begin on April 12, is halted.
  • Absentee ballots for the congressional primaries have already been mailed to voters.
  • Secretary of State Nancy Landry stated that U.S. House races will remain on ballots but votes will not be counted.
  • The legislature is expected to redraw the congressional map, with Governor Landry indicating that the state is working with the legislature and the Secretary of State's office to develop a path forward.
  • The new districts are intended to be used for the 2026 election.

Races for U.S. Senate and constitutional amendment votes proceed as scheduled, with early voting for those races beginning May 4 and the primary on May 16.

Legal Challenges

State lawsuit

The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit on Friday, April 11, in a state court in Baton Rouge on behalf of Louisiana voting rights groups, seeking a temporary restraining order against Governor Jeff Landry and Secretary of State Nancy Landry.

  • Plaintiffs: The League of Women Voters of Louisiana, the Louisiana state conference of the NAACP, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, and three individual voters—Ambrose Sims Jr., Joyce Davis Sims, and Phyllis V. Mercadel—who have already cast absentee ballots.
  • Legal argument: The plaintiffs argue that the executive order is unlawful, stating that election suspensions in Louisiana have previously only been issued due to natural disasters or health emergencies. They contend that a Supreme Court decision does not constitute a state of emergency under Louisiana law.
  • NAACP statement: The organization stated that the order "sows chaos" and risks votes, particularly absentee ballots already cast.

Federal lawsuit

A separate federal lawsuit was filed on Thursday, April 10, in Louisiana federal court by Democratic congressional candidate Lindsey Garcia. The suit argues that the suspension violates due process and federal election-timing laws due to the number of absentee ballots already returned.

Reactions

  • State Senator Royce Duplessis criticized the delay, calling it "changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game."
  • Harvard Law professor Ruth Greenwood questioned the legal basis for postponing the primary.
  • State Representative Kyle Green expressed doubt about the suspension, noting that the court's decision does not automatically halt the election process.

Related Developments

President Donald Trump praised Governor Landry's actions and urged Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to revise that state's congressional districts. Florida recently adopted a new U.S. House map backed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Louisiana has a history of redistricting challenges following the 2020 census.