Supreme Court Limits Voting Rights Act Section 2

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to limit Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a provision that allowed challenges to electoral maps diluting minority voting power, raising concerns among Black members of Congress about potential reductions in their representation through future redistricting.

The decision, stemming from a case in Louisiana, removes requirements for states to consider race in drawing congressional districts when avoiding dilution of minority votes. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has 60 members, gathered in Washington to respond. Rep. Yvette Clarke, the caucus chair, said members and Democrats plan to contest the ruling's effects. More than a dozen caucus members attended, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, expressing reactions that included anger and resolve.

Redistricting experts estimate more than a dozen seats currently held by minorities could change hands, particularly after the 2028 elections. The ruling affects states with Republican majorities in their legislatures, where leaders have begun discussing new maps. In Florida, state Republicans approved a revised House map that altered a district designed to enable election of...