Louisiana Legislature Passed New Congressional Map with Two Black Opportunity Districts

Washington, D.C. – Today, Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States and Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), issued the following statement in response to the congressional map passed by the Louisiana Legislature: 

“This map delivers significant progress for Black Louisianans, who will now have the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice in two of the state’s congressional districts. It is a result of the tenacity of the voters who fought tirelessly for their rights to be protected in court, and it is the result of courts deterring anti-democratic behavior by demonstrating their willingness to hold legislators to account when orders are defied. 

“In this moment, we celebrate this victory, but we also must remember that justice should not have taken this long. For years, one-third of Louisiana’s population was denied the right to equal representation – a right that is granted to all American citizens – as a result of Republican politicians who drew a discriminatory map in the first place and the Supreme Court’s use of a so-called ‘shadow docket.’ 

“Since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Allen v. Milligan, too many Republicans in too many places have attempted to defy that decision by continuing to draw discriminatory maps. They did so, because they arrogantly assumed they could get away with it. But in places like Alabama they were stopped by the courts – sending a clear message that courts will not tolerate this anti-democratic behavior and deterring Louisiana Republicans from gerrymandering again. That is a victory for accountability and our system of checks and balances.” 

Additional Background: 

In 2022, the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF), the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the NDRC, initiated Robinson v. Ardoin, the lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s congressional map for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The NRF also initiated and directed the successful challenge against Alabama’s congressional map in Allen v. Milligan.

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