Mississippi Democrat on potential redistricting after VRA ruling: 'We have a fight ahead of us'

Source: The Hill

05/02/26 3:31 PM ET


Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) on Saturday said the likely redistricting efforts that could kick off following the Supreme Court’s ruling against a second Black majority congressional district in Louisiana leave Democrats with “a fight ahead of” them.

Ahead of what was at the time a looming Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said last week he would call for a special session to consider redrawing the state’s congressional map 21 days after the high court made a ruling. That decision came on Wednesday.

“So, clearly, we have a fight ahead of us,” Thompson told CNN’s Victor Blackwell. “Those of us who have been in this fight forever will continue to. In most of these states, Victor, nobody has said this, all of these districts were drawn by Republicans and approved by Republican legislatures.”. Thompson argued that with Black people making up 38 percent of Mississippi’s population, they should have one House representative “at a minimum.”

“What you see is exactly what I’ve been talking about,” he continued. “Given an opportunity left to themselves without any guardrails, white Republican elected officials would wipe out every opportunity for Black people to be elected. And so this Supreme Court issue that was decided in favor of the Black community is now being challenged by the governor with a new redistricting plan.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5860877-supreme-court-voting-rights-act-mississippi/