This is what civic leadership looks like!

This year, in Louisiana, we saw what can happen when fair maps are in place. For the first time in almost three decades, Louisiana voters elected two Black members of Congress to represent their state — a victory for equal representation.

How did we get here?

Black Louisianans make up one-third of the state's population, but for years, the state had in place a discriminatory congressional map that included just one Black opportunity district out of six total.

As you'll remember, the 2023 Allen v. Milligan Supreme Court decision enforced protections enshrined in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a result of the ruling, the Louisiana legislature had to draw a fair congressional map — one where Black voters have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice in two of the state's six districts.

Then, just in January of this year, a group calling themselves “non-African-American voters” sued to stop those new maps in a completely new court! But thanks in large part to the efforts of the fair map movement, the Supreme Court ruled in May that the new fair maps would be used in this year's election.

What were we looking for in this election?

On Election night, we were watching results in the 6th Congressional District — the district converted to a majority-Black district under the new map.

With 50.8% of the vote, Louisianans voted Cleo Fields as their next congressman from the 6th District. Louisianians will have a more representative delegation in the 119th Congress and this is something everyone in the fair maps movement should be proud of.

What does this mean?

This is a clear example that fair maps help elect leaders that reflect the policy desires of the American people.

This outcome shows that the Voting Rights Act is absolutely still necessary and effective in protecting the right to vote. We must do whatever we can to protect and further enable the law.

What's next for Louisiana?

Just last month, the Supreme Court announced they'll review a case to decide whether Louisiana violated the law in the January 2024 redraw of the maps, hearing the challenge from the so-called “non-African-American voters.” The decision will likely determine how congressional maps are drawn moving forward in Louisiana and could have larger implications on how the Voting Rights Act is enforced. We'll be looking for the Supreme Court to find the January 2024 maps constitutional.

Stay tuned — what happened in Louisiana this year is proof that the work we do can pay off. But there's much more to come on fair maps and representation in Louisiana.

Team NDRC

Since 2017, the NDRC has executed a comprehensive redistricting strategy that shifts the redistricting power, creating fair districts where Democrats can compete. Our victories have been made possible by our strong community of grassroots supporters.

DONATE

Paid for by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee,
John Bisognano, President.

Democrats gain House seat in Louisiana with new majority Black 6th Congressional District

Louisiana has elected its second Black member of Congress for the first time in history and flipped the 6th Congressional District from Republican to Democrat, returning Cleo Fields to the House after a 30-year gap.

Fields avoided a runoff by securing 51%. Republican Elbert Guillory was second with 38%.