Louisiana House committee advances congressional map favoring Republicans

After hours of testimony in opposition, a Louisiana legislative committee advanced a congressional redistricting plan Thursday evening that adds an additional Republican seat ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

On a party-lines 10-7 vote, the House and Governmental Affairs Committee approved Senate Bill 121 by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, which keeps only a single majority-Black district among Louisiana’s six U.S. House seats. By eliminating the second Black district the legislature created two years ago, Republicans would gain another probable win in their bid to maintain control of Congress.

The majority-Black district in Morris’ proposal is essentially the same one U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, won in 2022. Morris said the district was designed to protect Carter’s incumbency, though its inclusion of the capital area means it would pit Carter against current 6th District Congressman Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge.

Morris said his goal in drawing the map was to disregard race and instead focus on party. While racial gerrymandering remains prohibited, partisan redistricting is legal. Morris said his map is designed to “maximize Republican advantage for the incumbent Republicans that we have in Congress.”



https://lailluminator.com/2026/05/21/louisiana-congress-map/