LOUISIANA V. CALLAIS
PROTECTING BLACK POLITICAL POWER
What is Callais? Louisiana v. Callais (pronounced KAL-ay) is a Supreme Court case about Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a core safeguard against racially discriminatory political maps. In April 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to strike down Louisiana’s majority-Black congressional district, ordering a new map and weakening key protections of the Voting Rights Act.
The Supreme Court’s decision is one of the most serious attacks on voting rights in decades. It weakens the protections that stopped politicians from rigging voting maps, opening the door for states to redraw districts in ways that dilute Black voting power and lock in political control.
- 191 state legislative seats at risk of elimination – all held by Democrats and mostly by Black legislators
- Could create 19 additional safe Republican congressional districts
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Congress: Our Callais report shows gutting Section 2 could hand Republicans 19 additional safe House seats, slashing Black and Latino representation and entrenching one-party control.
Combined with Trump-backed map rigging, this is a long-term power grab to lock in control for generations.
State‑by‑State Impact
The Court could reshape power in 10 Southern states where GOP leaders already control large majorities in the state legislature and the map‑drawing process.
Our report includes specifics for: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
The Callais State Legislative Report shows how the same decision gutting the VRA would decimate fair representation in state capitols.
- Republican legislatures in 10 Southern states could redraw maps to wipe out 191 Democratic state seats held by Black lawmakers in majority-minority districts.
- The elimination of Black and Hispanic majority districts means those lawmakers are effectively removed from office. When those districts disappear, communities most harmed by bad policy lose the representatives who know them best and fight hardest for their needs.
- State legislative districts where Black or Hispanic voters make up a majority could fall from 342 to 202, a loss of 140 districts.
- Black-majority districts could drop from 273 to 146 (A loss of 127 districts, nearly half of all Black-majority districts in the South.)
- Hispanic-majority districts could drop from 69 to 56 (A loss of 13 districts, nearly one out of every five Hispanic-majority districts in the South.)
Minority political power could be locked out for a generation, blocking progress on healthcare, public school funding, gun safety, reproductive freedom, voting rights, and other critical issues.
WHAT IS THE OTHER SIDE SAYING?
This isn’t hypothetical. Republican leaders from the White House all the way down to your state legislature are preparing to act as soon as Section 2 is gutted by the Supreme Court. Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina officials are laying groundwork to redraw their maps.
And they’re saying the quiet part out loud. Senior Trump advisers are telling top GOP donors that Callais is one of the Supreme Court cases they expect to boost Republicans in the 2026 midterms and “transform” their power to win elections for years.
GET INVOLVED
Learn & Spread the Word
- Check out the Callais 1.0 and 2.0 reports.
- Discuss the report with your people – let them know what’s at stake!
Pressure Our Leaders
- Reach out to your state legislators to support fair representation and protections against discrimination.
- Sign the petition to protect the vote.
- Contact Democratic leaders in blue states.
- Urge them to act now to fight map-rigging, without weakening minority voting power.
- Urge them to act now to fight map-rigging, without weakening minority voting power.
Show Up:
- Join rallies and marches to show we demand fair representation.
- Volunteer with BVMF, Fair Fight Action, and our local organizations to help mobilize voters, share resources, and raise awareness in your community.
- Sign up for alerts. Opportunities will become available as the Court rules and states announce redistricting.