Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
In It to Win It
In It to Win It's Journal
In It to Win It's Journal
May 13, 2026
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/13/mcmaster-special-session-redistricting-south-carolina-00919106
South Carolina GOP Gov. McMaster plans to call special session to redraw South Carolina House map
South Carolina GOP Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to announce a special session on redistricting, teeing up the state legislature to pass a Republican gerrymander that would almost certainly cost Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn his seat in this year’s midterms.
Clyburn is the sole Democrat in South Carolina’s House delegation; the new map would dismantle his district, leaving the state with 7 likely red seats and no Democratic-leaning ones.
McMaster’s plan — confirmed by four people familiar with the decision, who were granted anonymity to share private details — is a reversal of his position earlier this month and follows pressure from President Donald Trump and his allies to gerrymander the state.
The looming special session comes after five Republican state senators voted with Democrats to block a measure that would have allowed them to redraw South Carolina’s districts this cycle without a call from McMaster.
Clyburn is the sole Democrat in South Carolina’s House delegation; the new map would dismantle his district, leaving the state with 7 likely red seats and no Democratic-leaning ones.
McMaster’s plan — confirmed by four people familiar with the decision, who were granted anonymity to share private details — is a reversal of his position earlier this month and follows pressure from President Donald Trump and his allies to gerrymander the state.
The looming special session comes after five Republican state senators voted with Democrats to block a measure that would have allowed them to redraw South Carolina’s districts this cycle without a call from McMaster.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/13/mcmaster-special-session-redistricting-south-carolina-00919106
May 13, 2026
Kemp calls special session to redraw 2028 maps, overhaul voting process
Archived: https://archive.ph/Qs6vt
Gov. Brian Kemp called state lawmakers for a special session on June 17 to reshape how Georgians vote and to redraw the state’s political maps after last month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision gutted a section of the Voting Rights Act prohibiting racial gerrymandering.
The move, announced Wednesday, thrusts Kemp and his Republican allies back into the center of two of the most combustible debates in Georgia politics a day after the June 16 primary runoffs cement nominees for every statewide office.
The first is a looming crisis over Georgia’s voting system. The second is a redistricting fight over congressional and legislative boundaries for the 2028 elections.
Kemp has ruled out changing the maps for this year’s races, but Republicans are moving to act now while they are certain a GOP governor can sign the new districts into law.
A special session is required to address a statutory July deadline lawmakers left unresolved when they adjourned in April.
The move, announced Wednesday, thrusts Kemp and his Republican allies back into the center of two of the most combustible debates in Georgia politics a day after the June 16 primary runoffs cement nominees for every statewide office.
The first is a looming crisis over Georgia’s voting system. The second is a redistricting fight over congressional and legislative boundaries for the 2028 elections.
Kemp has ruled out changing the maps for this year’s races, but Republicans are moving to act now while they are certain a GOP governor can sign the new districts into law.
A special session is required to address a statutory July deadline lawmakers left unresolved when they adjourned in April.
Breaking: Gov. Kemp has called state lawmakers for a special session on June 17 to reshape both how Georgians vote and to redraw the state’s political maps after last month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision for the 2028 election. #gapol
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein.bsky.social) 2026-05-13T18:44:57.623Z
www.ajc.com/politics/202...
May 13, 2026
Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned from Congress under cloud, says she's running to regain seat
Gift Link
Sun-Sentinel
Less than a month after she resigned from Congress in the face of a looming expulsion recommendation, former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said Monday she is a candidate to return to Washington.
Cherfilus-McCormick said she is seeking the Democratic nomination in the reconfigured 20th Congressional District, which is concentrated in central Broward County, after Florida Republicans changed the map of Florida congressional districts.
She said she isn’t deterred by four other candidates who are already running — or by the prospect that U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz might decide to run in the same district. Wasserman Schultz’s Broward district was blown up by the new Republican reconfiguration of the congressional map.
“The strongest candidate in the race is me,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I never said I wasn’t running.”
The former congresswoman made it clear she doesn’t care for Wasserman Schultz, the senior Democratic member of Florida’s congressional delegation. When she was first elected, in a 2022 special election to fill the vacancy left by the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, Cherfilus-McCormick said Wasserman Schultz was dismissive when she arrived in Washington.
Cherfilus-McCormick said she is seeking the Democratic nomination in the reconfigured 20th Congressional District, which is concentrated in central Broward County, after Florida Republicans changed the map of Florida congressional districts.
She said she isn’t deterred by four other candidates who are already running — or by the prospect that U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz might decide to run in the same district. Wasserman Schultz’s Broward district was blown up by the new Republican reconfiguration of the congressional map.
“The strongest candidate in the race is me,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I never said I wasn’t running.”
The former congresswoman made it clear she doesn’t care for Wasserman Schultz, the senior Democratic member of Florida’s congressional delegation. When she was first elected, in a 2022 special election to fill the vacancy left by the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, Cherfilus-McCormick said Wasserman Schultz was dismissive when she arrived in Washington.
May 13, 2026
The Supreme Court is no longer acting like a neutral judicial body.
It has become an ideological weapon.
From gutting the Voting Rights Act to expanding presidential immunity, dismantling abortion rights, empowering dark money, weakening federal protections, and enabling authoritarian power grabs, the conservative supermajority on the Court is radically reshaping American life without the consent of the majority.
Professor Leah Litman — constitutional law scholar, legal commentator, and co-host of Strict Scrutiny — joins The Left Hook to expose how the modern Supreme Court became captured by billionaire interests, right-wing activists, and partisan operatives masquerading as impartial justices.
The Corrupt Supreme Court Must Be Reformed And Cleansed! (with Prof. Leah Litman) - Wajahat Ali
The Supreme Court is no longer acting like a neutral judicial body.
It has become an ideological weapon.
From gutting the Voting Rights Act to expanding presidential immunity, dismantling abortion rights, empowering dark money, weakening federal protections, and enabling authoritarian power grabs, the conservative supermajority on the Court is radically reshaping American life without the consent of the majority.
Professor Leah Litman — constitutional law scholar, legal commentator, and co-host of Strict Scrutiny — joins The Left Hook to expose how the modern Supreme Court became captured by billionaire interests, right-wing activists, and partisan operatives masquerading as impartial justices.
May 13, 2026
Gov. Kemp (R-GA) signs law making elections in the Atlanta area's five big blue counties nonpartisan 😑
This tracks with Republicans switching North Carolina Supreme Court and Ohio Supreme Court elections from nonpartisan to partisan to give Republicans the advantage.
Archived: https://archive.ph/JggKR
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law Tuesday that makes most local races in five heavily Democratic metro Atlanta counties nonpartisan, embracing a Republican-backed effort that could boost the party’s chances in deep-blue areas while weakening one of its chief targets: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The law applies to district attorneys, county commissioners and other elected officials in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties beginning in 2028. The law exempts sheriffs. It’s unclear if it applies to the DeKalb County Commission.
The measure’s Republican supporters crafted it to make it harder for Democrats to retain power in the state’s most populous region, though they framed it as a path to depoliticize local government offices.
Still, they did little to distance the overhaul from their disdain of Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who led the unsuccessful election-interference case against President Donald Trump and his allies. Several co-sponsors referred to her during debate over the measure.
The law applies to district attorneys, county commissioners and other elected officials in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties beginning in 2028. The law exempts sheriffs. It’s unclear if it applies to the DeKalb County Commission.
The measure’s Republican supporters crafted it to make it harder for Democrats to retain power in the state’s most populous region, though they framed it as a path to depoliticize local government offices.
Still, they did little to distance the overhaul from their disdain of Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who led the unsuccessful election-interference case against President Donald Trump and his allies. Several co-sponsors referred to her during debate over the measure.
Georgia's governor signs a comically transparent law.
— Taniel (@taniel.bsky.social) 2026-05-13T00:11:30.192Z
It makes local elections in 5 big blue counties nonpartisan, to give GOP candidates a chance to win without a party label in places like Atlanta.
And it doesn't change anything in the rest of the state, for red counties to know who's GOP.
May 13, 2026
South Carolina Republicans defy Trump's demands for redistricting
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/12/south-carolina-republicans-defy-trump-redistrictingSouth Carolina state senators on Tuesday defied pressure from Donald Trump to approve plans to redraw the state’s congressional map after the US supreme court effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act.
As Republicans scramble to redraw key districts after the US supreme court rendered ineffective a major section of the civil rights law that prevented racial discrimination, Shane Massey, the Republican majority leader in South Carolina’s senate, argued in an extraordinary address that doing so would be against the interest of his state.
Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature moved last week to eliminate the state’s one Democratic, Black-majority congressional district. Louisiana has postponed its state primaries, with its Republican governor and attorney general arguing it could no longer use its current districts.
But on Tuesday afternoon, legislators in South Carolina rejected plans to follow suit, with the state’s senate voting 29-17 – two votes short of the two-thirds needed – on the proposal. Five Republicans joined all Democrats in the chamber to reject the proposal.
As Republicans scramble to redraw key districts after the US supreme court rendered ineffective a major section of the civil rights law that prevented racial discrimination, Shane Massey, the Republican majority leader in South Carolina’s senate, argued in an extraordinary address that doing so would be against the interest of his state.
Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature moved last week to eliminate the state’s one Democratic, Black-majority congressional district. Louisiana has postponed its state primaries, with its Republican governor and attorney general arguing it could no longer use its current districts.
But on Tuesday afternoon, legislators in South Carolina rejected plans to follow suit, with the state’s senate voting 29-17 – two votes short of the two-thirds needed – on the proposal. Five Republicans joined all Democrats in the chamber to reject the proposal.
May 12, 2026
A redrawn Virginia electoral map looked like it could offset at least some red state gerrymandering—until the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in. But if Democrats—in the commonwealth or elsewhere—have a way to keep Republicans from redistricting themselves into permanent power, now’s the time.
Guest: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist.
Dems Don't Have to Take the SCOTUS Voting Rights Decision Lying Down (feat. Jamelle Bouie) - What Next Podcast
A redrawn Virginia electoral map looked like it could offset at least some red state gerrymandering—until the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in. But if Democrats—in the commonwealth or elsewhere—have a way to keep Republicans from redistricting themselves into permanent power, now’s the time.
Guest: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist.
May 12, 2026
BREAKING: Three-judge district court in Alabama redistricting sets a one-week schedule for briefing after SCOTUS's Monda
BREAKING: Three-judge district court in Alabama redistricting sets a one-week schedule for briefing after SCOTUS's Monday order, citing an aim "that all Alabamians may timely and efficaciously exercise their constitutional right to vote." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-12T18:14:53.793Z
UPDATE 2: The second set of Alabama plaintiffs today filed a motion for an ex parte TRO — arguing that Callais doesn't upset their Section 2 VRA ruling because, again, of the finding of intentional discrimination. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-12T16:40:22.266Z
tl;dr: The three-judge district court panel is not done with this.
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-12T18:16:22.155Z
From the order:
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-12T18:17:35.936Z
May 12, 2026
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/45-000-votes-discarded-louisiana-020652757.html
45,000 Votes Will Be Discarded In Louisiana. Gov Says It's 'Not A Big Deal.'
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on gerrymandering, Louisiana’s governor suspended the state’s primary elections, even though tens of thousands of votes had already been cast.
Now he intends to toss those votes.
During a “60 Minutes” interview Sunday, Gov. Jeff Landry (R) was pressed about what would happen to the roughly 45,000 ballots that were cast prior to the high court’s decision.
“This country has held elections during the Civil War, during two world wars, elections still went on,” correspondent Cecilia Vega said.
“We’ll have an election, and we’re actually gonna have an election on election day,” Landry responded.
“But voting was already happening,” Vega said, cutting Landry off. “As we sit here right now, more than 45,000 ballots have been returned. What happens to those?”
Now he intends to toss those votes.
During a “60 Minutes” interview Sunday, Gov. Jeff Landry (R) was pressed about what would happen to the roughly 45,000 ballots that were cast prior to the high court’s decision.
“This country has held elections during the Civil War, during two world wars, elections still went on,” correspondent Cecilia Vega said.
“We’ll have an election, and we’re actually gonna have an election on election day,” Landry responded.
“But voting was already happening,” Vega said, cutting Landry off. “As we sit here right now, more than 45,000 ballots have been returned. What happens to those?”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/45-000-votes-discarded-louisiana-020652757.html
May 12, 2026
SCOTUS majority gives Alabama GOP a chance to use a map already found to be unconstitutional - Chris Geidner
https://www.lawdork.com/p/scotus-majority-gives-alabama-gopThe U.S. Supreme Court’s Republican appointees gave Republicans in Alabama another shot at using a congressional map that has been blocked because a lower court found that it had violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and intentionally violated the Fourteenth Amendment.
The court vacated the judgments in long-running challenges over Alabama’s congressional maps — effectively wiping out a 268-page opinion that blocked Alabama 2023 map in one paragraph — over a dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor that was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
And though Alabama already acted in the wake of April 29’s Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court decision gutting what remained of the Voting Rights Act to move some primary elections if the courts cleared the way for them to do so, Sotomayor’s dissent on Monday suggested it might not be that simple.
The Supreme Court’s unsigned, unreasoned order purported to be an application of Callais in what’s known as a grant, vacate, remand (or, GVR) order, but there are two key elements of this GVR that make it particularly troubling.
The court vacated the judgments in long-running challenges over Alabama’s congressional maps — effectively wiping out a 268-page opinion that blocked Alabama 2023 map in one paragraph — over a dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor that was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
And though Alabama already acted in the wake of April 29’s Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court decision gutting what remained of the Voting Rights Act to move some primary elections if the courts cleared the way for them to do so, Sotomayor’s dissent on Monday suggested it might not be that simple.
The Supreme Court’s unsigned, unreasoned order purported to be an application of Callais in what’s known as a grant, vacate, remand (or, GVR) order, but there are two key elements of this GVR that make it particularly troubling.
As Sotomayor notes:
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T21:48:48.687Z
And, in Sotomayor's conclusion, a swipe at the majority and a note to the district court as to its Fourteenth Amendment analysis:
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T21:50:29.755Z
Sotomayor: "In addition to holding that Alabama’s 2023 Redistricting Plan violates §2, the District Ct. held, in one [case], that Alabama violated the Fourteenth Amendment by intentionally diluting the votes of Black voters in Alabama."
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T22:03:48.961Z
The SCOTUS majority said nothing about that—or anything else.
Here's my report at Law Dork: www.lawdork.com/p/scotus-maj...
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-05-12T00:28:51.462Z
Profile Information
Member since: Sun May 27, 2018, 06:53 PMNumber of posts: 12,798