Georgia's Kemp Calls 2028 Redistricting Session as Black Democrats Warn Nearly Half of Seats at Risk
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 16
Georgia's Kemp Calls 2028 Redistricting Session as Black Democrats Warn Nearly Half of Seats at Risk
10 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 16
Brian Kemp on Wednesday called a special Georgia legislative session to redraw congressional and state legislative maps for 2028, one of the first concrete Southern moves after the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling.
Nearly half of about 270 majority-Black legislative districts across 10 Southern states could be eliminated, according to a pre-ruling report cited by Black lawmakers and voting-rights groups.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said his state also expects to redraw legislative and state Supreme Court lines before the 2027 off-year elections, signaling broader Republican-led map changes across the region.
Black legislators say losing those districts would cut representation in bodies that control budgets, schools, health care and infrastructure, worsening underinvestment in many Black communities.
Lawmakers are preparing litigation, procedural resistance and voter-mobilization campaigns, while younger Black Democrats also press for protests and aggressive counter-redistricting in blue states.
Beyond court challenges, what creative state-level laws could ensure representative legislative bodies under the new rules?
As districts are redrawn, what is the expected impact on funding for local schools, roads, and healthcare?
After Georgia's regular 2026 legislative session adjourned in April, Governor Brian Kemp called a special session to begin June 17, 2026. This session is strategically timed right after the primary runoffs and before the general election, ensuring a Republican governor can sign new maps into law. The main focus will be redrawing Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts, a move that will shape the state’s political landscape for the 2028 elections and beyond. The session is also expected to bring further changes to voting processes, highlighting the high stakes and partisan tensions in Georgia politics.