Georgia Gov. Kemp Won't Delay Primaries or Redraw Maps Before 2026

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced Friday that he will not delay the state's May 19 primary election or redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling limiting the use of race in drawing electoral maps.

The decision follows the high court's ruling this week in Louisiana v. Callais, which struck down a lower court's order for Louisiana to create additional majority-minority congressional districts under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling clarified that race cannot predominate in redistricting decisions and prompted discussions in several states about revising maps outside the standard decennial cycle.

Kemp, whose second term ends in January 2027, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that early voting for the primaries is already underway, making changes impossible before the midterms. "Voting is already underway for the 2026 elections," he said. "But it's clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle."

The governor praised the Supreme Court decision, stating it "restores fairness to our redistricting process and allows states to pass electoral maps that...