Graves undecided on what district he’ll run in

By Piper Hutchinson
Contributing Writer

(lailluminator.com) — U.S. Rep. Garret Graves is committed to running for re-election this fall – but uncommitted on the district.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow a congressional redistricting plan that turned his safe-Republican 6th Congressional District into a new majority-Black seat to stay in place for the 2024 election, Graves announced he is considering what district he’ll run in.

“As previously stated, we are running for re-election in a district anchored in the Capital Region,” Graves said in a statement. “Because of the absurdity of the map, we are looking through these districts to determine where we can best represent the interests and priorities of the people of Louisiana for the next two years until a reasonable map is restored.”

The new congressional maps were adopted earlier this year in response to a ruling in the court case Robinson v. Landry, in which a federal judge ruled the maps adopted in 2022 violated the Voting Rights Act and discriminated against Black voters. But a three judge panel found the new plan, which featured a 6th district that stretched from Shreveport to Baton Rouge, slashing down the center of the state to pick up communities of Black voters, is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered this map stay in place for this year’s election while the appeals process in that case, Callais v. Landry, plays out.

Graves decision to limit himself to the two Capital region districts means he’ll either run in the new 6th district, setting up a long-shot bid in a Democrat-friendly district against state Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, or in the 5th district, which would set up a showdown between two Republicans with close personal ties.

The incumbent in that district, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, is the widow of Graves’ personal friend, Luke Letlow, who was the congressman-elect for the district before he died of COVID-19 in 2020. Graves served as a pallbearer at his funeral.

Both races pose political risks. Fields is a seasoned campaigner who previously served in congress in the 1990s, last representing a similar Shreveport to Baton Rouge slash district that was eventually tossed by a federal court. Letlow is a well-liked incumbent who serves on the powerful appropriations committee, a coveted position that offers her plenty of allies to look to for support.

The high court’s decision to suspend the Callais ruling at least through Fall’s election upended Graves’ predictions the map carving up his safe seat would be quickly overturned.

“The Supreme Court ruling lazily applied the Purcell Principle, ignoring Louisiana’s last-in-the nation qualifying and last-in-the nation November primary, which is plenty of time to conduct an election, according to sworn testimony by Secretary of State’s representatives,” Graves said. “By favoring process over merit, the Court’s actions forces voters to a fall election using an unconstitutional, confusing map.”

The Purcell principle is a doctrine that courts should not change election rules too close to an election due to the potential confusion it could cause to voters.

This article originally published in the May 27, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.