Congressional Black Caucus Plots Strategy as Up to 19 Seats Are at Risk
At its annual legislative conference, the Congressional Black Caucus confronted the possibility of losing nearly a third of its 62 seats after the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling and GOP redistricting. Members urged Black voters to turn out in force ahead of the midterms.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus gathered this week for their annual conference under what Capital B News described as a heavy mood, with Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana telling colleagues to be angry enough to fight, angry enough to vote. A report from Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter found Black voters could lose as many as 19 House seats due to erosion of Voting Rights Act protections and aggressive redistricting.
Carter's home state of Louisiana has already felt the impact: the Supreme Court struck down the state's second majority-Black congressional district in April, a seat held by fellow caucus member Rep. Cleo Fields, ruling that Louisiana relied too heavily on race in redrawing its map.
Caucus members, who began the session with a record 62 seats, are now strategizing how to protect Black political power heading into the November midterms, according to Capital B News.