Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) on Wednesday condemned the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down Louisiana's voting map, calling it an "abomination."
"It is an attack on a crown jewel of our democracy," Pritzker said during a press conference.
In a 6-3 ruling, the high court determined that Louisiana's addition of a second majority-Black congressional district constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The decision is expected to lead to more narrow applications of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which broadly prohibits discrimination based on race in voting practices.
Illinois state lawmakers have already begun preparing for the ruling's implications. The state House recently approved a potential change to Illinois' redistricting laws through a constitutional amendment that would require voter approval and seeks to ensure minority representation in the legislature. The measure is currently under consideration in the state Senate, which has until May 3 to approve it for the November ballot.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) issued a statement calling the ruling "awful" and warning of its consequences.
"The consequence is as clear as it is dangerous: fewer protections for voters, more power for politicians to draw maps that silence them, particularly voters historically disenfranchised," Schumer said.
Pritzker echoed those concerns during his press conference, vowing Illinois would push back against the decision. "We're not going to stand for it in Illinois," he told reporters. "We have options for pushing back. And that is under discussion with the legislature even today." The governor noted Illinois' next regularly scheduled redistricting is set for 2031.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican governors and legislators welcomed the decision as a affirmation of state authority over redistricting processes.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) celebrated the ruling, which came on the same day Florida's legislature passed a new congressional map he crafted. "The decision implicates a district in FL — the legal infirmities of which have been corrected in the newly-drawn (and soon to be enacted) map," DeSantis wrote in a post on X.
Mississippi Senate Leader Delbert Hosemann (R) issued a statement praising the ruling as reaffirming "one of Mississippi's fundamental states' rights and puts an end to years of federal overreach from Washington, D.C."
"Redistricting should be accomplished by the legislators Mississippians elect to represent them, and we have consistently proven we are more than capable of managing our own elections," Hosemann wrote on X.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) pledged last week to call a special session within 21 days of the Supreme Court's ruling to implement new GOP-drawn electoral maps in light of the decision.
What the Numbers Show
The Supreme Court decided the case by a 6-3 margin, with conservative justices comprising the majority and liberal justices dissenting.
Louisiana had sought to create a second congressional district where Black voters would comprise a majority or near-majority, raising the state's Black population representation in Congress from one of seven districts to two of six.
Illinois' proposed constitutional amendment would need approval by both chambers of the state legislature before appearing on the November ballot for voter ratification. The Senate has until May 3 to advance the measure this session.
The Bottom Line
The ruling marks a significant narrowing of federal oversight over state redistricting efforts and could affect how states draw electoral maps in the future, particularly those seeking to create majority-minority districts under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Democrats have signaled intent to pursue alternative strategies at the state level, while Republicans in several states are moving quickly to take advantage of the new legal landscape. The decision may also influence pending redistricting cases in other jurisdictions.