Georgia GOP calls for redistricting session as Warnock, Dickens slam Supreme Court Voting Rights Act decision
Georgia's Republican gubernatorial candidates and Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon are urging the Georgia General Assembly to convene a special redistricting session, to redraw congressional, state House and state Senate maps following today's Supreme Court ruling in Lousiana v. Callais.
McKoon praised the ruling, calling it "a win for democracy, the rule of law, and all Georgians."
CBS News Atlanta reached out to the top Republican in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp. His office responded: "We are actively analyzing this ruling and its potential impacts, but cannot comment further at this time."
Lt. Governor Burt Jones - who is running for Georgia governor- issued a statement after the ruling that Louisiana's congressional map is an "unconstitutional racial gerrymander."
"I commend the Supreme Court for its decision in the Louisiana redistricting case," said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. "I agree that in a society built on the equal protection of law, no state should be directed to draw legislative maps on the basis of race. Given that Georgia was ordered to do so in its last round of redistricting, I fully support redrawing our state's legislative maps in compliance with today's decision."
Other Georgia Republicans have already echoed the call. Georgia Senator Greg Dolezal posted a video on X where he said in part: "Now is not the time for Republicans to be weak-kneed. It's time to be bold. Call for special sessions. Redraw the unconstitutional Congressional maps in the South."
Georgia Democrats condemn the decision
The Associated Press reported this ruling could open the door for Republican-led states to redraw maps in ways that reduce the influence of Black and Latino voters.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is condemning the decision, calling it "a profound defeat for American democracy."
The high court's 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais limits how Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act can be used to challenge political maps that dilute the voting power of minority communities.
The case centered on Louisiana's congressional map and a second majority-Black district that had been drawn after a lower court found the previous map likely violated the law.
"Today's Supreme Court decision marks a profound defeat for American democracy and will pave the way for partisan politicians to pick their voters," Warnock said in a statement.
Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, said the ruling continues what he described as the Supreme Court's erosion of the Voting Rights Act. He also called for Congress to restore the law and ban gerrymandering.
In a statement to CBS News Atlanta, mayor Andre Dickens weighed in:
"The Supreme Court just dismantled the Voting Rights Act eliminating decades of progress and allowing those in power to suppress the voices they don't want to hear. We cannot allow rigged maps to be the path to political victory. Our vote is our most sacred right, and the continued efforts to suppress our votes is un-American.
Today's Supreme Court decision is an insult to the legacies of heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis who dedicated their entire lives to protecting our right to vote. Atlanta is the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, and I hope that Georgia will push back against any calls to manipulate our maps."
For now, this ruling comes as Georgia heads into another high-stakes election cycle, with control of Congress and state political power once again at the center of national attention.
