Former Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to New Orleans later this summer as Democrats confront a Supreme Court ruling that could sharply reduce Black representation in Congress, a person close to her first told Axios. - Harris has slammed the court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling as "backdooring racism through politics." Why it matters: Harris' moves are the latest sign she's inching toward a presidential run in 2028, and courting Black voters as she lays the groundwork for a campaign. - Black voters have been a powerful voting bloc in recent Democratic presidential primaries, and 2028 primary polls show Harris is currently leading other contenders among the critical constituency. Driving the news: Harris, who has publicly…
Louisiana's Republican-controlled Senate has advanced a new congressional map that could shift the state's congressional delegation from a 4-2 to a 5-1 Republican majority, following a Supreme Court decision against racial gerrymandering.
Louisiana’s Republican-controlled Senate has advanced a new congressional map that could shift the state’s congressional delegation from a 4-2 to a 5-1 Republican majority, following a Supreme Court decision against racial gerrymandering . PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Louisiana Senate has moved forward with a new congressional map favoring Republicans, potentially increasing their delegation to five seats compared to one for Democrats. This follows a Supreme Court decision striking down the previous maps as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering . DETAIL: The proposal, approved by a state Senate committee after hours of overnight testimony, would likely force Democratic Reps. Troy Carter and Cleo Fields into the same district.…Open
Louisiana senators voted early Wednesday to advance a congressional map that eliminates one of the state's majority-Black districts. Why it matters: The proposed map pits U.S. Rep. Troy Carter against U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields for their seats, which are currently in two different districts, writes Piper Hutchinson of the Louisiana Illuminator . The latest: Senate committee members stayed up overnight to hear hours of testimony from residents about the proposals. - The nearly 10-hour meeting ended around 4:30am Wednesday, Hutchinson writes. - The full Senate is expected to vote Thursday on the bill, before sending it to a House committee next week. The big picture: Louisiana currently has six U.S. House districts. Four are majority-white and…