SCOTUS Callais Ruling: Redistricting Map Chaos Hits Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia — and Your Congressional District in 2026

# SCOTUS Callais Ruling: Redistricting Map Chaos Hits Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia — and Your Congressional District in 2026

> **Quick answer:** Thirteen days after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in *Louisiana v. Callais*, at least three states are already redrawing congressional maps that could erase majority-Black districts and flip as many as 19 House seats. Tennessee signed a new map into law on May 7, carving Rep. Steve Cohen's Memphis district into three Republican pieces. Alabama is pursuing court permission to eliminate two Black Democratic seats. Virginia's Democrats filed a SCOTUS emergency petition on May 11 after their voter-approved map was thrown out — with constitutional experts calling their odds "poor." The 2026 House majority may already be decided in state legislatures, not on Election Day.

The Supreme Court issued its *Callais* opinion on April 29, 2026. By May 11 — twelve days later — three states were in active map-redrawing mode, one incumbent was pledging legal action over an erased district, two Black Democratic incumbents in Alabama faced legislative targeting, and Virginia's Democrats were firing a legal Hail Mary at the same court that just killed the VRA. The redistricting wave is not coming. It is here.

This is a state-by-state breakdown of what is happening right now, which seats are at risk, and what the 2026 midterm map actually looks like after *Callais*.

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney for legal matters.*

## Tennessee: First State to Act — Cohen's District Is Gone