Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced Friday that the state will not redraw its congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that some Republicans hoped would enable immediate changes.

Kemp, a Republican in his final term, issued a statement saying, "Voting is already underway for the 2026 elections, but it’s clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle." He praised the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais as one that "restores fairness to our redistricting process and allows states to pass electoral maps that reflect the will of the voters, not the will of federal judges."

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana's congressional map, which included a second majority-Black district, constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The decision raised the bar for Voting Rights Act Section 2 claims by requiring challengers to provide illustrative maps that meet state goals like incumbent protection while proving racial bloc voting independent of partisanship. It did not invalidate Section 2 but made it harder to force states to create majority-minority districts.

Georgia's primary election is set for May 19, with early voting already in progress. Kemp rejected calls from some GOP lawmakers, including state Sen. Greg Dolezal, for a special legislative session to redraw maps now and potentially gain more Republican seats in the state's 14-district delegation, which currently stands at nine Republicans and five Democrats.

The current maps stem from the 2022 redistricting after the 2020 census. A federal court in 2023 ordered changes due to alleged discrimination against Black voters under Section 2, but the state avoided a full overhaul. Democrats, including Sen. Raphael Warnock, criticized the Supreme Court ruling as gutting protections for minority voters.

Kemp's stance contrasts with actions in states like Louisiana, where leaders delayed primaries to redraw maps, and Alabama, which called a special session. In Georgia, any new maps would come after Kemp leaves office, under whoever wins the governor's race this year.

The decision avoids mid-cycle chaos but sets the stage for 2028 changes that could reshape the congressional balance. Political observers noted Kemp's approach keeps the process orderly amid national redistricting pushes spurred by the ruling.