Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced on Wednesday that he is canceling a special legislative session scheduled for next week to redraw the state's supreme court districts. However, the Republican governor indicated that he still expects the state to redraw its four congressional districts in the near future, though not in time for the 2026 midterm elections.
Reeves on Redistricting Challenges
Speaking on SuperTalk radio, a conservative talk radio network, Reeves explained that redrawing congressional districts to benefit Republicans before the November 2026 midterms would be difficult and could potentially harm Republican candidates. Mississippi held its primary elections for congressional seats in March, prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which narrowed a key provision of the Voting Rights Act and prompted several Republican-led states to reconsider their district maps.
An immediate redrawing of Mississippi's congressional districts aimed at eliminating Democratic seats would likely require invalidating the primary results and could make firmly Republican areas more competitive by adding more Democratic voters.
Future Plans for Redistricting
In a post on X, Reeves clarified his remarks: “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 emphasized his desire to redraw congressional districts, specifically targeting the seat held by Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson. He stated that he is working with the Trump administration on the timing and method for redrawing both congressional and legislative districts. “It is not a question of if, it’s a question of when,” Reeves said, referring to the redrawing of the state's congressional map with a focus on Thompson's district.
Bennie Thompson's District
Thompson, Mississippi's only Democratic member of Congress, is also the longest-serving Black elected official in Mississippi and in Congress. He represents the state's second congressional district, which stretches approximately 275 miles across much of the Mississippi Delta, a predominantly Black region.
