BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Legislature ended its special session Wednesday by voting to delay next year’s statewide primary elections by one month while the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the legality of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts.
The House approved the election delay in a 73-29 vote, following the Senate’s 27-9 vote on Saturday. Both votes split largely along party lines, with Black lawmakers strongly opposing the measure, arguing that it is premature and will cause confusion among voters.
The legislation moves the spring primary for Republicans and Democrats from April 18 to May 16, while pushing the runoff, if needed, from May 30 to June 27. The election date for five state constitutional amendments has also been postponed by about a month. Candidate qualifying dates were adjusted, though signatures collected on nominating petitions by Sept. 16 will remain valid.
Republicans defended the move as a precaution given the uncertainty surrounding the Supreme Court’s timeline. Democrats, however, accused them of pursuing a political advantage.
“The ultimate goal of this bill, regardless of if anybody wants to say it or not say it, is to change the dates with the hopes that the Supreme Court strikes down Section Two,” said Rep. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, referring to the Voting Rights Act, which bans racial discrimination in voting and redistricting.
Democrats expressed concern that a court decision could lead to the elimination of at least one of the two majority-Black districts, which together represent roughly one-third of the state’s population.
Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, echoed those concerns. “I think the frustration most African Americans feel, and I certainly feel, is that when it’s something beneficial for us, it’s ‘Let’s delay,’” Jordan said. “When it feels like it’s an advantage for white citizens of Louisiana, it’s ‘Let’s get ahead of this.’”
The bill’s author, Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, denied any political motives. “We’re giving people more time,” he said.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments earlier this year and again on Oct. 15 in Louisiana v. Callais, a case challenging the state’s current “four-two” congressional map. Plaintiffs argue that one of the two majority-Black districts was drawn along racial lines that suppress non-Black voters.
The Republican-controlled Legislature adopted the current six-district map in 2024. Two of those districts are represented by Black Democrats — Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans and Rep. Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge — while two others are held by high-ranking Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Bossier City and Rep. Steve Scalise of Metairie.
Among the constitutional amendments now scheduled for the May 16 ballot are proposals establishing a mandatory retirement age for state judges and restructuring the state’s civil service system.
Debate over the election delay continued Wednesday, with Rep. Candace Newell, D-New Orleans, calling it “the Trump Two-Step — legislatures rigging elections.”
Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, defended the move, noting the state’s long history of redistricting challenges. “Thirty years later, we find ourselves in the same vicious cycle of conflicts with Section Two challenges and their conflict with the 14th Amendment,” he said.
On Monday, leading Black Democrats and supporters rallied at the Capitol in favor of maintaining the current congressional maps. “This is about representation and this is about power,” said Davante Lewis, a Democrat and member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
