Louisiana Supreme Court Ruling Suspends House Primaries

PUBLISHED:

4/30/2026, 3:22:58 PM

Key Takeaways

Louisiana has suspended its House primaries due to the Supreme Court's ruling on the state's congressional map
Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order to delay the elections until July 15
The decision has sparked a scramble across southern Republican-led states to reassess their congressional maps
President Donald Trump has expressed support for the decision
The Supreme Court's ruling has significant implications for the upcoming midterms

Louisiana Suspends House Primaries Following Supreme Court Redistricting Ruling

Louisiana has suspended its House primaries after the Supreme Court struck down the state's current congressional map. Republican Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order delaying the House races until July 15, or until the legislature determines a new date.

The elections were initially scheduled for May 16, with a June 27 run-off date. However, early voting is expected to begin as planned on Saturday, and officials have clarified that all other contests, including the state's contentious GOP Senate primary, will proceed as normal.

In a statement, Governor Landry said using the current maps would "undermine the integrity of our system and violate the rights of our voters." He added, "This executive order ensures we uphold the rule of law while giving the Legislature the time it needs to pass a fair and lawful congressional map."

According to a person familiar with the conversations, Governor Landry had informed House Republican candidates on Wednesday of his plan to suspend the elections. The decision was first reported by the Washington Post. Landry told candidates in phone calls that he would make the delay official on Friday and mentioned potentially using emergency executive power to pause the elections.

President Donald Trump celebrated the decision, stating, "Thank you to the Great Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, for his leadership on the very important Callais case, and for moving so quickly to fix the Unconstitutionality of Louisiana’s Congressional Maps... He has shown tremendous Vision, Strength, and Leadership. Thank you Jeff, keep up the GREAT work!"

Speaker Mike Johnson expressed support for delaying the primary elections, saying, "The governor has no choice but to suspend it... The court has ruled our map unconstitutional." Johnson suggested holding an all-party "jungle" election in November, with a run-off in December, as an alternative to the suspended primaries.

The Supreme Court's decision has set off a scramble across southern Republican-led states, with top candidates and party chairs calling for special sessions to dismantle majority-minority districts. However, it will be challenging for the party to push through new maps ahead of the midterms.