Supreme Court narrows the Gingles framework 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais on April 29, 2026, narrowing the Thornburg v. Gingles preconditions that plaintiffs must meet to bring vote-dilution claims under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Writing for the majority, Justice Amy Coney Barrett held that courts must give greater deference to legislatures when a challenged map can plausibly be explained by partisan rather than racial intent. The ruling immediately signaled new openings for Republican-controlled legislatures to redraw minority-represented districts.