Multiple States Call Special Sessions on Redistricting Amid Voting Rights Act Ruling

In 2026, governors in three states called special legislative sessions tied to redistricting or voting rights following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case that struck down part of the Voting Rights Act's requirement for majority-minority congressional districts. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called a special session beginning May 5 to redraw the state's congressional map, potentially affecting the Memphis-based Ninth District, the state's only Democrat-held seat; Tennessee's Black population is about 16%, and Republicans hold roughly 75% of state House seats and 81% of state Senate seats. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued Executive Order 2026-09 on May 14 convening a special session covering the state budget and continued consideration of new congressional district lines, including the majority-Black 6th District held by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn. Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced on July 7 that the General Assembly would reconvene in August to address concerns about weakened Voting Rights Act protections and representation. In Tennessee, the special session drew hundreds of protesters to the statehouse, resulting in multiple arrests, and Republican legislators passed a new congressional map along party lines. In South Carolina, McMaster's call for a special session followed his earlier public opposition to redistricting and came after five Republican state senators, led by Majority Leader Shane Massey, had joined Democrats to block a redistricting measure; the legislature had adjourned without a formal Sine Die, leaving the session's scope open. In Maryland, Governor Moore's office stated the General Assembly agreed to reconvene to complete related legislative work, though no specific bill text or session agenda was detailed in available materials. As of the reporting, Tennessee's new congressional map has been signed into law, while South Carolina's special session was ongoing with no final map confirmed. Maryland's special session was scheduled for August but had not yet convened. Sources disagree on the extent and framing of political pressure from President Trump in prompting the South Carolina and Tennessee sessions, with some reports characterizing it as decisive and others describing it as one contributing factor. The exact content of Maryland's forthcoming legislation remains unspecified, and legal challenges to the Tennessee and South Carolina maps had not been confirmed in the available reporting.