The Louisiana Legislature opened a special session Thursday, as lawmakers debated a Republican proposal to delay the state’s closed party primaries by one month, a move Democrats warn could affect minority representation and future congressional maps.
The plan, backed by Republican leaders and Gov. Jeff Landry, would shift the state’s new closed primaries from April 18 to May 16, citing the need for flexibility ahead of a possible U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The case could determine whether Louisiana’s two majority-Black congressional districts are constitutional under the Voting Rights Act.
Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, D-Monroe, said the change could have lasting consequences for Louisiana’s voters.
“Moving the dates of elections has consequences,” Jackson-Andrews said in a video statement following the first day of hearings. “Even in the 30 days that this bill suggests the elections be moved to, it’s questionable whether the Supreme Court will rule by then. No one knows when the Court will rule.”
Jackson-Andrews said that if the Court invalidates portions of the Voting Rights Act before the rescheduled elections, it could allow lawmakers to redraw district lines before the 2026 cycle. “If the Supreme Court says the Voting Rights Act is no longer constitutional, that will impact whether those two individuals could serve,” she said, referring to Louisiana’s two minority congressional seats.
Republicans argue the change would give election officials more time to respond to any ruling. Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, who authored the measure, said it simply changes election dates, not the process. “We change laws all the time,” he said during committee debate.
Jackson-Andrews called the effort part of a broader national strategy. “I thought about the call that President Trump made to get more Republican districts,” she said. “This is going to aid in that. There’s no bill in this session to redistrict, but this bill moves the date of the election by 30 days in hopes that the Supreme Court will rule that Louisiana’s map is unconstitutional.”
The senator said she stayed through the late-night Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing because of the issue’s importance. “It is a sad day in Louisiana when there’s a suggestion that we no longer want equal representation,” she said. “I never thought I’d be back fighting the same battles that my ancestors fought.”
Senate Bills 1 and 2 advanced from committee on a party-line vote, with six Republicans supporting and three Democrats opposed. The measures now move to the full Senate for debate.
Jackson-Andrews urged residents to remain engaged and attend the next round of hearings at the Capitol. “Please pray for us, please watch, please engage,” she said. “Louisiana can only thrive if we work together. Things don’t get better based on the party. They get better when we put people first.”
