First of all, happy Juneteenth. The holiday certainly feels different this year as we begin to navigate our new reality without the Voting Rights Act. Empowered by the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority, state legislatures have raced to eliminate minority political representation across the South. But here’s the thing: They’re being met with the indomitable spirit of Black protesters, who are packing state capitols and telling lawmakers in no uncertain terms, “We shall overcome (again).”
I strongly urge you to spend time with our piece from last month that gathered up some of the most powerful words and images from this historic moment of Black protest.
And if you know someone who is skeptical about whether those protests matter, here’s what you can tell them: Just this week, Georgia Republicans abruptly backtracked on a plan to take up redistricting because they feared a showdown over Black voting rights would energize voters, making GOP candidates more vulnerable in November.
We knew Georgia Republican legislators were unconvinced about congressional and state legislative redistricting as a special session called by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) was set to start Wednesday. But hardly anyone could have expected the GOP state House leadership to send a stunning last-minute letter to the governor explaining that they were killing his gerrymandering plans for the 2028 elections.
In their letter, the lawmakers waxed philosophical about the importance of public input, arguing the process would be too rushed to take into consideration voters’ point of view. In reality, it’s more likely they were afraid that redistricting would have dire consequences for GOP candidates in November, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this week.
And they had good reason to worry.
As Fair Fight Action CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo said in a statement Wednesday, hundreds of Georgians “came to the Capitol today to oppose Republicans’ special session to rig our state’s voting maps, and now Republican House and Senate leaders are suddenly afraid that a fight over racist voting maps just before the election could create major backlash with Georgians that could break their majority in November.”
Georgia voting rights advocates are celebrating the win, but they’re also warning that the GOP could try again later.
Maryland Democrats prepare to counter GOP gerrymanders
Democrats will have to fight hard to defeat GOP gerrymanders this November. But the battle over the 2028 elections is already here, too.
Because many blue states have complex rules about redistricting, Democrats must play the long game to redraw voting districts to counter GOP gerrymanders. Last month, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at least seven blue states are taking steps to pass new maps. Here’s where the process stands in those states.
In Maryland, a redistricting special session is reportedly now on the table for this summer, with Democratic state leaders preparing to put a redistricting amendment before voters in November.
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) blocked redistricting for 2026, but he’s changed his position in the weeks since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. He’s also facing a primary challenger who has criticized his reluctance to redraw.
Ferguson has said that any next steps won’t come until after the state’s June 23 primary election.
Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees to hear gerrymander appeal
Wisconsin could be another state where Democrats potentially pick up more congressional seats in 2028 — depending on how some long-running redistricting litigation plays out.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed last week to hear another appeal seeking to strike down the state’s congressional map. Voters are arguing the map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander that unlawfully favors the GOP — even though Wisconsin is one of the most closely divided states in the country, Republicans hold six of its eight U.S. House seats. The court also recently agreed to hear a separate case challenging the state’s map as an “anti-competitive” gerrymander.
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For the 2026 midterms, Republicans have potentially gained up to 14 seats — five in Texas, four in Florida and one each in Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama. Democrats have potentially gained up to six seats — five in California and one in Utah.
Odds and ends
A federal court held a hearing Thursday on pro-voting groups’ motion to block the new Tennessee gerrymander dismantling the state’s lone majority-Black congressional district for the 2026 midterms. It didn’t appear to go so well.
Mississippi is taking steps to redistrict state legislative maps ahead of 2027, according to state officials.
What we’re doing
We’re excited to listen to a new eight-part podcast series from Malcolm Gladwell and the History Channel about America’s Reconstruction period. With GOP-controlled legislatures redistricting the nation back into the past, this history is unfortunately highly relevant and it’s time to refresh our knowledge. The podcast was produced in collaboration with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground company.
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