Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has raised concerns about the seriousness of an attack as he holds a press conference, revealing the discovery of five letters. In a move to address a judge’s ruling on the illegal dilution of Black votes, Georgia Senate Republicans have proposed a new map that creates two Black-majority voting districts while maintaining their current edge in the General Assembly’s upper chamber. The proposed districts, which were released on Monday, aim to increase the number of Black-majority districts by eliminating two white-majority districts currently held by Democrats.
State Senators Jason Esteves and Elena Parent, both residing in Atlanta, would find themselves living in Black-majority districts if the redrawn map is approved. A special session dedicated to redrawing state legislative and congressional districts is set to commence on Wednesday, following U.S. District Judge Steve Jones’ order in October, which mandated Georgia to include Black majorities in one additional congressional district, two state Senate districts, and five state House districts.
While no House or congressional plans have been released yet, the House Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting has scheduled a hearing on a new House plan for Wednesday. It remains uncertain whether Judge Jones will accept the proposed map if it passes. Previously, he had ruled two additional Black Senate districts in the southern part of metro Atlanta as illegal under Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act. The Republican proposal preserves two of the districts in question, one represented by Democrat Valencia Seay of Riverdale and another represented by Republican Marty Harbin of Tyrone.
Although some districts deemed illegal did see minor adjustments, those changes did not significantly affect their racial or partisan balance. Notably, the Republican proposal involves redrawing several Democratic-held districts in Fulton and Cobb counties that were not specifically targeted by the judge. The plan would result in no current senators being placed in the same district, a crucial factor due to Georgia’s requirement that state legislators must have resided in their districts for a year prior to their election.
Given that the next election is less than a year away in 2024, it is not feasible for any candidates to relocate to different districts to run. Consequently, the proposed redistricting could open the door for Democratic primary challenges against Parent and Esteves. Parent, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, and Esteves, the treasurer of the state Democratic Party, are expected to introduce their own proposal on Tuesday.
Ken Lawler, chair of Fair Districts GA, an organization aiming to reduce partisan gerrymandering, expressed his belief that the proposed districts align with Judge Jones’ objective of establishing additional Black-majority districts. However, Lawler cautioned against altering other districts to maintain the current Republican majority, likening it to previous mid-decade changes made by Georgia Republicans to solidify their control.
The potential creation of a new Black-majority congressional district, coupled with similar rulings in other Southern states, could potentially aid Democrats in their bid to reclaim the U.S. House in 2024. Additionally, new legislative districts resulting from the redistricting process might narrow Republican majorities in Georgia. The legality of preventing Democrats from gaining a congressional seat, as Republicans are attempting in the state Senate, remains uncertain.
Judge Jones emphasized in his order that Georgia cannot rectify its issues by undermining minority opportunity districts elsewhere. The state has expressed its intention to appeal Judge Jones’ order. If successful, Georgia could have new districts in place for the 2024 elections and revert to the current lines in 2026. Currently, Republicans hold nine out of Georgia’s 14 congressional seats and 102 out of the 180 state House seats.
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