The United States Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district in a 6-3 decision that sharply limited how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act can be used in redistricting cases. The conservative majority concluded that the state’s 6th District relied too heavily on race and amounted to an unconstitutional gerrymander.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion. The district linked parts of Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge across more than 200 miles. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the other conservative justices in the majority, while the court’s three liberal members dissented.
The ruling reversed the direction taken in an earlier Alabama case. That decision had prompted new maps in Alabama and Louisiana and helped create a second majority-Black seat in each state. Black residents make up roughly one-third of Louisiana’s population, and the revised Louisiana map placed Black majorities in two of the state’s six congressional districts. Democrat Cleo Fields represents the district invalidated by the court.
Alito’s opinion effectively confined Section 2 claims to cases involving intentional discrimination, a demanding standard for challengers. Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the dissenters, warned that the decision would make it easier for states to dilute minority voting strength without legal consequences. Fields said the practical result would be to make challenges to maps that weaken minority political influence much harder.
The immediate electoral effect remained uncertain. Most filing deadlines for the 2026 congressional elections had already passed, suggesting the broader impact could emerge in 2028. Louisiana may nevertheless need to redraw its map to comply with the judgment. The decision could also encourage Republican-led states to revisit districts with Black or Latino majorities, which often elect Democrats.
Political responses divided along party lines. The White House praised the ruling as a rejection of assigning districts by skin color, while Democratic campaign officials condemned it as an attack on voting rights. President Donald Trump welcomed the decision and called for more states to redraw congressional lines.
The judgment arrived as Florida lawmakers considered a new congressional map backed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The Republican-controlled legislature proceeded with that proposal after declining Democratic requests for a delay to study the Louisiana ruling. Because the Supreme Court had already ruled in 2019 that federal courts cannot police extreme partisan gerrymandering, the Louisiana decision further changes the legal boundaries governing race, representation and political mapmaking. Election-law specialists estimated that nearly 70 of the 435 House districts were protected by Section 2, illustrating why the new limitation could reach well beyond Louisiana.
