Georgia Republicans on Wednesday rejected Gov. Brian Kemp’s calls to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps, holding off due to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision that restricts states’ use of the federal Voting Rights Act to add more minority districts.
GOP House Speaker Jon Burns , along with other Republican leaders, wrote a letter to Mr. Kemp, a Republican, stating that there is not enough time to take up redistricting.
“In regard to your request to redistrict for the 2028 election cycle, the House has always conducted redistricting with considerable time for public input and with careful attention to constitutional requirements and the interests of every Georgia community,” the letter stated. “Since this process has the potential to impact every voter, it deserves the same responsible, fact-driven approach that guides every policy we consider as lawmakers, especially as we seek to understand the full implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais.”
The governor called the Republican-led Legislature into a special session following the Supreme Court’s ruling that determined Louisiana’s congressional map was an illegal racial gerrymander. Mr. Kemp asked lawmakers to consider redrawing new districts ahead of the 2028 election, as any moves to do so would come too late in the 2026 election.
Hours before the special session was scheduled, Mr. Burns announced the decision to retreat on redistricting.
“When the House learned that it was placed on the call for a special session, we knew it was not the right path forward for our state at this time. We believe that it is important to do things the Georgia way — responsibly, transparently, and with ample opportunity for public input,” Mr. Burns said at a press conference Wednesday.
He pointed toward pending litigation over Georgia’s existing districts and across the country after Southern states jumped on the opportunity to redraw congressional maps following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“Changes to Georgia’s maps should take place only when members of the General Assembly and citizens have been given ample opportunity to gather the facts, provide input, and engage in meaningful discussion,” the letter reads. “For this reason, we will not be taking up congressional or legislative redistricting for the 2028 election cycle during this special session.”
The state’s Republican leaders did not rule out taking up redistricting later in the year.
“Because any changes to our current congressional or legislative districts would not go into effect until 2028, we believe it is prudent to take the appropriate and necessary time to do this important duty the right way and not to rush through it,” said state Senate President Pro Tempore Larry Walker III.
In response, Mr. Kemp argued that the state’s current maps are unconstitutional as a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling because “ Georgia’s legislative maps were drawn intentionally to create majority-minority districts.”
“I do not believe there is reason to delay the apportionment process, especially with the legislature already convening,” he said in a statement. “Legislative districting, however, is the responsibility of the General Assembly, and it is within their discretion to defer the issue until a later date.”
In their letter to Mr. Kemp, the lawmakers said it was more pressing for them to focus on economic matters, such as tax relief and ratifying the state’s gas tax suspension, rather than what they characterized as “partisan games.”
The Supreme Court’s benchmark case led to a domino effect of redistricting in states across the South, offering a win to the GOP and President Trump, who has called for red states to redraw congressional districts to their advantage.
Ten states — Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Utah — have already implemented new congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections. Mississippi is eyeing a new map ahead of the 2028 presidential election; Virginia’s effort to institute a new Democrat friendly map was overturned by the commonwealth’s Supreme Court.
As control of the House is up for grabs, the redistricting race could help determine the outcome of the lower chamber’s fate.
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