The Congressional Black Caucus, a power center in the Democratic Party for decades, saw its membership rise this Congress to an all-time high of 58 House members. Now, thanks to a Supreme Court redistricting ruling that is expected to dramatically diminish Black representation on Capitol Hill, the CBC is fighting a battle that could devastate its membership.
The Supreme Court sent a case challenging Alabama's new GOP-drawn map back to a lower court Monday, clearing the way for state Republicans to eliminate the district held by freshman Rep. Shomari Figures, a Democratic CBC member from Mobile. The ruling also centered on Louisiana, where Republicans are racing to redraw the map to scrap one or both of the state's two Democratic, Black-majority districts.
What the Right Is Saying
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., pushed back on Democratic criticism Tuesday, saying the Callais decision came in response to Democratic overreaching. 'We had a 5-1 map in Louisiana, and it was Democrats who took that map to court because they wanted to try to draw more Democratic seats, and ultimately the 4-2 map that was ruled unconstitutional,' Scalise said. 'They did that in Virginia, too. Democrats have a history of going too far.'
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., one of the veteran CBC members at risk, pointed to broader political dynamics under President Donald Trump's return to office. 'You have got a president that has taken Black folks out of everything,' Clyburn told NBC News, pointing to the administration's campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'So I do not want us to just look at this voting case in isolation. No, this is a comprehensive attempt on the part of this administration to redeem Jim Crow.'
Some Republicans have expressed concern about declining Black representation within their own party. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who had focused on recruiting more Black, Hispanic and female candidates when he led Republicans from 2019 to 2023, told NBC News: 'They had more freshmen in the last class named Mike than women. I recruited and elected the most women. We had four Black Republicans — they will not have one next cycle.' All four current Black GOP House members are either retiring or running for higher office.
What the Left Is Saying
CBC Chair Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., said as many as 19 of the caucus' members could be affected by the redistricting wars in a worst-case scenario, though she noted it is still fluid given that states are still drawing new maps. 'It is devastating. People have sacrificed so much to make this a more perfect union. And here we are, in 2026, seeing this massive regression in all the gains that have been made. It is painful,' Clarke told NBC News.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who as the only Democrat in the Mississippi delegation is being targeted by Republicans, called the court decision 'Jim Crow 2.0.' The court ruling 'potentially takes us back 60 years,' he said. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., a CBC member who would most likely have been targeted had Indiana not rejected redistricting efforts, told NBC News: 'It is heartbreaking. I mean, it is going to set our country back. It is unfortunate given the deep legacy of the South and the fact that these are CBC seats, and these are my colleagues and family.'
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, said in a phone interview Tuesday: 'We are witnessing Southern legislators across the former Confederacy approach this racialized gerrymandering process in a way in which we thought we had gotten beyond.' He argued that both disenfranchise minority voters and wipe out many of the Black members who represent them. Clarke said the CBC is coordinating with activists and legal groups to challenge state redistricting efforts, while much of the strategy will focus on turning out Black voters in November.
What the Numbers Show
The Congressional Black Caucus currently has 58 members, an all-time high in any Congress. CBC Chair Yvette Clarke estimates up to 19 of those members, roughly a third of the caucus, could be affected by redistricting efforts based on current maps under development. The Supreme Court's recent ruling sharply narrowed how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 can be used in redistricting cases.
In Louisiana, Republicans are racing to redraw the map after the Callais decision. In Alabama, the court ruling cleared the way for state Republicans to eliminate the district held by Rep. Shomari Figures. In Missouri, state Republicans drew a new map that carved up Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver's deep-blue district based in Kansas City and made it favorable for Republicans; the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the map can go into effect for upcoming elections.
In Mississippi, Thompson is the only Democrat in the delegation. Other targeted members include Reps. Don Davis of North Carolina, Al Green and Marc Veasey of Texas, as well as veteran lawmakers from Georgia and South Carolina. On the Republican side, all four Black GOP House members are leaving Congress: Rep. Byron Donalds is running for governor of Florida, Rep. John James is running for governor of Michigan, Rep. Wesley Hunt lost his Senate primary in Texas, and Rep. Burgess Owens is retiring.
The Bottom Line
The Supreme Court's narrowed interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has set the stage for a significant reshaping of Black political representation across Southern states ahead of November elections. Democrats are planning an emergency meeting of House members Thursday led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to detail their response, which will include both legal challenges and voter mobilization efforts.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is poised to become the first Black speaker if Democrats win back the House, said he will convene an emergency meeting of House Democrats on Thursday to detail the party's plans to 'forcefully push back against the Republican redistricting scheme.' The strategy remains developing as states continue drawing new maps. NAACP President Derrick Johnson urged broader coalition-building: 'This is not a Black problem. This is a problem of our democracy. We have to overwhelm the system with votes so it is a clear message that this should not be accepted.'