Southern Republicans redistrict after Supreme Court rules, Dems lose big in Virginia

Elections Southern Republicans redistrict after Supreme Court rules, Dems lose big in Virginia May 9, 20266:00 AM ET Larry Kaplow Democrats suffered a major setback and Republicans continued to reshape voting maps their way in a frantic week of developments prompted by court rulings. Loading... The Supreme Court of Virginia Friday nullified the results of a special election on April 21, where 1.6 million Virginians approved redistricting that Democrats hoped would win them four more House seats. In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the legislature followed the wrong process for putting the question, an amendment to the state constitution, on the ballot. Meanwhile, Southern Republicans rushed to redraw their states' congressional voting maps after an April 29 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which weakened voting rights protections for minority communities. Sponsor Message Loading... The Louisiana v. Callais ruling has remade the redistricting race that President Trump began last year to help Republicans hold on to the U.S. House this fall. In Louisiana, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the May 6 primaries for Congress, after early votes had already been cast. Politics Tennessee Republicans pass a map to break up the state's lone Democratic House seat Republican-led legislatures in Alabama and Tennessee started special redistricting sessions within four days of the ruling. South Carolina Republicans have started steps toward redrawing there. Protesters have flooded capitol buildings in Montgomery, Ala. and Nashville. Civil rights activists and Democratic lawmakers have said the redistricting dilutes the voting power of Black voters, harkening back to the south's history before the movement for civil rights. Tennessee Republicans still gave fast-track approval to a map that could flip the state's only Democratic-held seat. Alabama lawmakers approved redistricting but it's pending court approval. Elections Supreme Court paves the way for largest-ever drop in Black representa...