Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has called a special session of the Georgia Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional map in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.
A proclamation issued by the governor states that the session will address “enacting, revising, repealing, or amending general law for the division of the State into appropriate districts from which members of the Georgia State Senate, the Georgia State House of Representatives, the United States House of Representatives to the United States Congress, or any other state office elected by district.”
According to the proclamation, any changes to the congressional map will take effect in the 2028 election cycle. The special session is scheduled to begin on June 17. Kemp had previously indicated that while early voting for the 2026 elections was already underway, no significant changes to the maps would occur in the next few months.
Following the May Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, Kemp stated: “It’s clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle.” The governor also praised the ruling as one that “restores fairness to our redistricting process and allows states to pass electoral maps that reflect the will of the voters, not the will of federal judges.”
Georgia Republican Chairman Josh McCoon has similarly called for a special session, asserting that new maps must prioritize traditional redistricting principles such as contiguity, compactness, and respect for political subdivisions without what he described as “the distorting influence of racial targets.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) remarked: “We just learned that Georgia is moving forward with gerrymandering for 2028. There is an extreme movement in this country that will stop at nothing to hold on to power, even if it means stripping representation away from millions. I will fight this with everything I have.”
Redistricting typically occurs every decade following the U.S. census. In some states, independent commissions oversee map creation, while others use highly partisan processes. Over the past year, a growing number of states have enacted new district maps after former President Trump pressured Republican-led states to redraw electoral boundaries to create more favorable congressional seats for their parties, anticipating losses in this year’s midterms. Democratic-led states have also responded by remaking their maps to benefit their political leanings.
Additionally, Georgia’s special legislative session will address a new law banning QR codes on ballots that takes effect in July.
