Mississippi governor calling for special session over state Supreme Court map after VRA decision

Source: The Hill

04/24/26 9:50 PM ET


Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced on Friday that he will call a special session to consider new voting maps after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a landmark redistricting case. Reeves said state legislators will return to Jackson, Miss., 21 days to redraw electoral maps after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on Louisiana v. Callais.

“It is my belief and federal law requires that the Mississippi Legislature be given the first opportunity to draw these maps,” Reeves wrote in a post on the social platform X. “And the fact is, they haven’t had a fair opportunity to do that because of the pending Callais decision.”

The high court will determine whether race-based redistricting under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) is in compliance with constitutional equality protections. The provision prohibits voting practices that discriminate based on race, color or minority-group membership.

The case centers around a second majority-Black congressional map begrudgingly adopted by the GOP-controlled Louisiana legislature after the original maps were challenged under the VRA. The state is arguing that this new map effectively amounts to racial gerrymandering. The result in Louisiana v. Callais could have significant impacts for Mississippi’s proposed new maps for its three state Supreme Court districts, which are currently stayed in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals pending the decision in the Louisiana case.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5848505-reeves-calls-special-session/