Kemp says no redistricting for 2026 midterms, but expects electoral changes to maps for 2028 election

MGN

Gov. Brian Kemp said that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling narrowing the landmark Voting Rights Act will not impact Georgia’s upcoming midterm, but said changes will be coming ahead of the 2028 election.

In a 6-3 ruling on Wednesday, the court’s conservative majority found that Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district, represented by Democrat Cleo Fields, relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the district as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge areas.

“Because the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the state’s use of race in creating SB8,” Alito wrote, referring to the map. “That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander, and its use would violate the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.”

Following the Supreme Court ruling, some high-profile Georgia Republicans called for a special session of the legislature to redraw the state’s political maps.

“These new maps must prioritize traditional redistricting principles—contiguity, compactness, respect for political subdivisions, and communities of interest—without the distorting influence of racial targets,” Georgia Republican Chairman Josh McCoon wrote. “Georgians deserve districts that unite neighbors, preserve local communities, and ensure every vote counts equally.”

On Friday, Kemp praised the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying that it “restores fairness to our redistricting process and allows states to pass electoral maps that reflect the will of the voters, not the will of federal judges.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp delivers the State of the State address on the House floor of the state Capitol on Jan. 25, 2023 in Atlanta.Alex Slitz / AP
The governor pointed to the fact that early voting is already underway for the 2026 elections, meaning that any changes to the maps wouldn’t happen in the next few weeks or months. However, Kemp did say that the ruling would have a direct impact on Georgia elections.

“It’s clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle,” Kemp said.

The governor did not give a timeline of when he expected lawmakers to begin work on the redistricting process.

Georgia Democrats call ruling “defeat for American democracy”
Speaking after the ruling, Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock says he wouldn’t be in Congress without the Voting Rights Act and slammed the Supreme Court’s decision as a blow for racial justice.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision marks a profound defeat for American democracy and will pave the way for partisan politicians to pick their voters,” Warnock said. “For decades, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has protected fair and equal representation in our democratic process. With this decision, coupled with the continued erosion of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court, the voice of the American people has never been squeezed further from our democratic discourse.”

Rep. Nikema Williams, who represents parts of metro Atlanta, called the ruling “another step away from the promise of equal representation.”

“It’s clear that Republicans, carrying the water for Donald Trump, are doing anything possible to take power while gutting the voting power of millions of Americans who would hold them accountable,” Williams said. “We have fought this before, and we will fight this again to protect our fundamental right to vote and elect leaders who truly represent us.”