The Louisiana State Senate on Thursday approved a new congressional district map for the 2026 midterm elections in a 27-10 vote. The map, which will be sent to the Louisiana House of Representatives where Republicans hold a two-thirds majority, eliminates one of the state’s two Democratic-held U.S. House seats.

The revised map reassigns Pointe Coupee Parish from District 5 to District 6 and splits St. Landry Parish among the third, fifth, and sixth districts. Tangipahoa Parish is also altered, with its northern portion assigned to District 5 and the southern portion to District 1.

District 2, Louisiana’s sole majority-Black congressional district centered in Orleans Parish, remains largely unchanged under the new map. The seat is currently held by U.S. Representative Troy Carter, a Democrat from New Orleans.

Senate sponsor Senator Jay Morris stated he designed the map with the intent of helping Representative Carter maintain his incumbency while concentrating Democratic-leaning voters within District 2. “I did draw it in a way that would help Representative Carter maintain his incumbency,” Morris said Thursday.

The Senate action follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that prohibited redistricting based on race, requiring Louisiana to redraw its congressional map. The state had previously suspended its congressional primaries after the court’s decision.

Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill previously stated that the current map was enjoined from use following an injunction, but they are working with legislative officials to implement a new map.

Democratic lawmakers, civil rights advocates, and voting rights organizations have criticized the proposed map for diluting the electoral power of Black residents, who constitute about one-third of Louisiana’s population. They warn that the new arrangement could lead Republicans to win five out of the state’s six congressional districts in November.

State Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews condemned the map during a Senate session, stating, “This Senate should seek to support a map that gives everyone a voice.”

Republicans, including Morris, have argued that the map was drawn solely for partisan advantage rather than racial considerations. They also note that Louisiana’s previous congressional map included majority-Black districts centered in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, which the Supreme Court recently deemed unconstitutional due to excessive reliance on race.

The new map creates a single Democratic district connecting New Orleans and Baton Rouge, potentially splitting the incumbency of two Democratic U.S. Representatives: Troy Carter and Cleo Fields.