Mississippi governor to call special session after Supreme Court rules in landmark Voting Rights case

Louisiana v. Callais — already reargued twice — could reshape how states draw district maps ahead of 2026 midterms

Updated April 25, 2026Mississippi · Supreme Court · Redistricting

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced Friday that he will convene a special legislative session to redraw the state's district lines within 21 days of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais — a case widely expected to reshape how states apply the Voting Rights Act ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Gov. Reeves, on X:

"It is my belief, and federal law requires, that the Mississippi Legislature be given the first opportunity to draw these maps. And the fact is, they haven't had a fair opportunity to do that because of the pending Callais decision."

What is Louisiana v. Callais?

The case centers on Louisiana's 2024 congressional map, which created a second majority-Black district after courts found the previous map likely violated Section 2 of the VotingRights Act. A group of white voters then challenged the new map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, arguing that race improperly dominated the redistricting process.

The Supreme Court first heard oral arguments in March 2025 but took the rare step of ordering reargument, asking parties to brief whether Louisiana's intentional creation of a second majority-minority district violated the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments. A second round of arguments was held on October 15, 2025.

Case no.

24-109

Reargued

Oct. 15, 2025

Status

Pending ruling

Mississippi's separate redistricting lawsuit

Reeves noted that a separate Mississippi case — filed by the  Southern Poverty Law Center and American Civil Liberties Union — also hangs on the Callais outcome. That lawsuit argues the state's Supreme Court district map dilutes the voting power of Black Mississippians in violation of federal law. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals paused that ruling pending the Supreme Court's Callais decision.

Reeves said the Callais ruling could "forever change the way we draw electoral maps" and that he is invoking his constitutional authority to allow legislators to act once the Supreme Court's decision makes the "rules of the game" clear.

Broader national stakes

Court observers say the Supreme Court's conservative majority appeared ready after October's reargument to significantly limit Section 2 of the VRA — not strike it down outright, but raise the bar for proving racial discrimination in redistricting. Louisiana itself dramatically shifted positions, filing a brief in August 2025 arguing that all race-conscious redistricting violates the Constitution.

Voting rights advocates warn the impact would extend far beyond congressional maps. "This will affect the state legislatures. This will affect city councils. It will affect school boards," said Louisiana state Rep. Terry Landry Jr. "You will see a huge impact on minority representation at every level of government."

Analysts estimate that if Section 2 protections are weakened, as many as 12 House seats in affected states could shift from Democratic to Republican-leaning — a consequential swing ahead of 2026 midterm elections already shaped by ongoing redistricting battles in Texas, California, and elsewhere.

Key legal question before the court

Whether a state's intentional creation of a majority-minority congressional district — as a remedy for a court-found Voting Rights Act violation — itself violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

• Case history: The unusual two-round argument process — first in March 2025, reargued October 15, 2025 — and why the Court requested it
• Louisiana's dramatic position shift: The state abandoned its own map and argued in August 2025 that all race-conscious redistricting is unconstitutional
• What justices appeared ready to do: Limit (not eliminate) Section 2, raising the bar for proving racial discrimination
• National political stakes: Analysts warn up to 12 House seats could flip if VRA protections are weakened, with direct implications for the 2026 midterms
• The case's potential trickle-down effect on state legislatures, city councils, and school boards, not just congressional maps
• The Callais ruling case number (24-109) and key dates for reference