Midterm elections: Black House seats dip slightly despite redistricting efforts
A decline in Black representation in the U.S. House is expected next year, but strong voter turnout in key states prevented a larger drop.
By Ariana Flores ·
Black representation in the U.S. House will decrease from 63 to 60 members in the incoming Congress, according to an NPR analysis. This number includes nonvoting members and sits just one seat above the record low of 59 seats following the 1876 election. The decline occurs despite a strong showing by Black voters in the recent midterm elections.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act regarding racial mapmaking. This decision allowed state legislatures to redraw congressional districts in ways that reduced the electoral power of Black voters in several states.
In Alabama, Rep. Shomari Figures defeated the odds to retain his seat in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. Republican state leaders had redrawn the district to make it more favorable to GOP candidates. A lower federal court had previously stated that the new lines gave Black-preferred candidates zero chance of winning.
Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, described the election results as a Black wave. He noted that the electorate was motivated by attacks on voting rights and ongoing gerrymandering. Albright said the high turnout was necessary for Figures to secure his reelection.
Similar trends appeared in North Carolina, where Rep. Don Davis kept his seat despite redistricting by the state’s Republican legislature. Two incoming Democrats, Cyril Jefferson and LaKesha Womack, flipped districts that had been held by white Republicans for years. Melat Kiros in Colorado and Donavan McKinney in Michigan also joined the House as Black Democrats.
In Georgia, the election of Keisha Lance Bottoms as governor ends the Republican control of all statewide offices. Outgoing Governor Brian Kemp announced he will not call a special session on redistricting before handing over the office in January. This move reduces the immediate threat to districts represented by Black Democrats in the state.
Experts warn that the impact of the Callais ruling will be most felt in the 2028 and 2030 cycles. Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, said the greatest reaction to the court's decision will occur in future years. Janai Nelson of the Legal Defense Fund added that state legislatures, city councils, and school boards may face similar map changes that affect Black electability.
Black representation in the U.S. Senate is rising to a historic high of seven members in the new Congress. This group includes Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Scott Colom, who will become the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction.
