Staff Reports
The Louisiana legislature is about to shake things up with a proposed new congressional map that’s causing quite the stir among Republicans. This map would strongly reconsider the current district for Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) and could potentially hand over yet another seat to the Democrats. As if national Republicans didn’t have enough on their plate, these potential changes could make their mission of keeping control of the House even more challenging.
Louisiana considers new congressional map that would draw out @RepGarretGraves’s seat for Democratic pickup https://t.co/9y1pV1yi78 https://t.co/9y1pV1yi78
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 16, 2024
The mastermind behind this controversial map is none other than state GOP Sen. Glen Womack, and he’s got the backing of the newly sworn-in Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA). The goal? To transform Graves’s current cozy Republican seat into a territory that’s much friendlier to the Democrats. You can only imagine the waves and war cries this news has triggered among the Republicans.
The plot thickens even further! Back in June, the Supreme Court stepped in and dismissed Louisiana’s plea to keep their voting map from being redrawn. This decision came after allegations that the map was unfairly weakening the power of black voters. The Supreme Court demanded a new map that created a district where most voters were black. But here’s the kicker – the map itself hasn’t even undergone a proper trial yet. This has got Republicans all riled up, arguing that the whole redistricting process should be put on hold.
Adam Kincaid, the president and executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, isn’t holding back either. He’s making it known that Louisiana’s got a map that can hold its ground, and they should be defending it in court. Why mess with a good thing, right? They’ve even put together a crack team to take this fight all the way to court if needed. Bring it on, Democrats!
Now, here’s where things get really juicy. Graves’s current district, which currently stretches from the southern part of the state all the way to Baton Rouge and beyond, is in for a wild ride. The proposed changes would shuffle things up, starting at the East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes and then making its way to the western part of the state in the Caddo parish. It’s like a game of musical chairs, but with entire districts!
Graves himself is not holding back. He’s fired up and ready to take a stand, calling out the proposed map for daring to combine Saints fans and Cowboys fans. The nerve! It’s clear that this is a battle of epic proportions, and Graves is not here to play nice.
Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is sounding the alarm bells. He’s urging the legislature to stick to their guns and defend the current map in court. After all, they believe it’s completely constitutional, and they’re not about to surrender a Republican seat without a good fight. It’s like a high-stakes political game of tug-of-war, and Johnson is pulling with all his might.
But wait, it gets even more dramatic. Johnson’s got a bone to pick with Landry, the Republican governor, and the whole Republican-led state legislature. They’re charging full steam ahead with this new map, leaving Johnson and his fellow House Republicans feeling the heat. It’s clear that the tension is palpable, and the stakes have never been higher.
So, here we are, on the edge of our seats as this nail-biting drama unfolds. Will the Republicans be able to hold their ground and defend their map, or will the Democrats swoop in and claim yet another victory? One thing’s for sure – the showdown in Louisiana is about to reach boiling point, and it’s anyone’s game to win!
