Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has cancelled a special legislative session scheduled for next week to redraw the state's supreme court districts, but expects to redraw congressional districts before the 2027 elections. The Republican governor made the announcement on Wednesday morning during an appearance on SuperTalk radio, a conservative talk radio network.
Reeves stated that it would be difficult to redraw the state's four congressional districts in Republicans' favour in time for the November midterm elections, as doing so might hurt Republican candidates. Mississippi held its primary elections in March, before the US Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v Callais, which narrowed a key protection of the Voting Rights Act and prompted several Republican-led states to reconfigure their maps.
An immediate redrawing of congressional districts to eliminate Democratic seats would likely invalidate primary results and could make firmly Republican areas more competitive by adding more Democratic voters. In a post on X, Reeves clarified: 'Just to clarify, I said I expect lawmakers to redraw congressional lines BETWEEN NOW and 2027 elections! I also expect them to redraw legislative and Supreme Court lines between now and 2027 elections!'
Reeves specifically targeted the seat of Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson, the state's lone congressional Democrat and the longest-serving Black elected official in Mississippi and Congress. Thompson represents the second congressional district, which covers much of the predominantly Black Mississippi Delta. Reeves said he is working with the Trump administration on the timing and method for redrawing congressional and legislative districts, adding: 'It is not a question of if, it's a question of when.'
