Redistricting in Louisiana could jeopardize the House Republicans’ quest to keep the majority and knock a onetime rising GOP star out of Congress.
The new congressional map changed Rep. Garret Graves’ 6th Congressional District from a safe Republican district to a majority Black voter district that Democrats should win.
Mr. Graves has vowed to run again, but whether he stays in the same district remains up in the air.
“We are running for reelection in a district anchored in the Capital Region,” Mr. Graves said in a statement. “Because of the absurdity of the map, we are looking through these districts to determine where we can best represent the interests and priorities of the people or Louisiana for the next two years until a reasonable map is restored.”
The new map was snarled in the courts since the Legislature passed it in January, with one court decision ruling it a racial gerrymander. But the Supreme Court decided earlier this month that the map would stand, at least for the 2024 election.
The new version of the 6th District was created to include more Black voters. The district now spans nearly 200 miles and slashes through the center of Louisiana from the capital of Baton Rouge up to Shreveport in the state’s northwest corner.
Mr. Graves, who has represented the area surrounding Baton Rouge since 2015, has a tough choice to make: stay in the new district or run against an incumbent Republican.
If he stays put, the lawmaker will face state Sen. Cleo Baker, a Democrat. But if he jumps ship, his most likely opponent would be Rep. Julia Letlow, to whom Mr. Graves has close personal ties, in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District.
Mr. Johnson has urged members to not fight one another in state primaries and general elections, stressing that a unified GOP would stay in power.
House Republicans cannot afford to lose many seats in November. They currently have a 217-213 majority, which could expand after special elections in Ohio and Colorado.
Losing Mr. Graves’ seat would hurt, but it may not be the death blow to the GOP majority. Republicans expect to gain seats from redistricting in other states. The new map in North Carolina, for example, nets the party at least three likely pickups.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, endorsed Mr. Graves earlier this month, with the caveat that he should stay in his current district to avoid a messy, member-on-member fight.
He said that the lawmaker could win, in part because Mr. Graves is a popular incumbent, and because he can ride former President Donald Trump’s coattails on the November ballot.
“I think it bodes very well. I think Garret could win it,” Mr. Johnson told the radio show “Talk Louisiana.” “And I’m really hopeful he’ll run in that district.”
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.