Atlanta, June 17, 2026 — Georgia's Republican legislative leaders rejected Gov. Brian Kemp's call to redraw congressional and state legislative districts on Wednesday, declining to take up redistricting during a special session called specifically for that purpose, according to The Associated Press.
House Speaker Jon Burns notified Kemp in a letter hours before the session opened, then announced the decision publicly as demonstrators filled the Capitol chanting “Black voters matter!” The letter, also signed by other GOP leaders, said lawmakers would not consider congressional or legislative maps for the 2028 election cycle “at this time.”
Kemp called the session after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in “Louisiana v. Callais”, which weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and opened the door for Southern states to redraw districts with less regard for race. The governor wanted new maps in place before 2028, which would have made Georgia the first state to apply the ruling to its own legislature, not just Congress.
Burns cited pending litigation over Georgia's current maps and said lawmakers needed more time to understand the ruling's full impact. He added that the House has “always conducted redistricting with considerable time for public input” and argued lawmakers should focus on economic issues rather than partisan fights.
Senate President Pro Tem Larry Walker III said GOP senators agreed with the decision, saying it was wise to let the judicial process play out further.
Civil rights groups and Democrats celebrated the move. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, who joined demonstrators at the Capitol, said the day showed citizens don't have to wait until November to make their voices heard. Fair Fight Action had estimated roughly 26 Democratic-held seats with significant minority populations could have been at risk under new maps.
Republican leaders did not rule out revisiting redistricting later this year. The pause sets Georgia apart from other Southern states that have moved quickly to redraw congressional lines ahead of the November midterms amid pressure from President Trump to protect the GOP's narrow U.S. House majority.
