Louisiana Governor Sued Over Suspended US House Elections (2)

Louisiana’s governor was sued multiple times in cases challenging his suspension of the state’s congressional primary elections so Republican lawmakers can draw new voting districts.

A lawsuit and petitions seeking immediate judge’s rulings to allow the US House primaries to take place on their originally-scheduled May 16 date were filed Thursday and Friday in response to Gov. Jeff Landry (R) postponment until at least July 15. Landry issued an emergency executive order after the US Supreme Court on April 28 said Louisiana’s challenged congressional map and its two majority-Black districts were unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered—likely ushering in a new era of partisan map-making nationwide.

“The Governor’s unilateral and unprecedented action threatens not only Petitioners’ voting rights, but the very democratic order,” says a state court filing urging a judge to issue a temporary restraining order forcing the congressional primaries to take place. “If the Governor is permitted to declare any ‘emergency’ he wishes to justify canceling an election that is already underway, it would set a precedent that would fundamentally and forever subvert the people’s ability to trust and rely on an orderly democratic system.”

That case, brought by the New Orleans chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, and another was filed in East Baton Rouge Parish, home to the state’s capitol of Baton Rouge. A third case, a proposed class action filed by a Democratic congressional candidate in US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, says the suspension is illegal because election officials already mailed tens of thousands of absentee ballots, a “material number” were already returned, and early voting was set to begin on Saturday.

All three cases allege violations of state and federal constitutions and laws and say voters will be disenfranchised if Landy’s overreaching decision is allowed to stand.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s chief judge on Friday appointed a three-judge panel to hear the federal lawsuit.

The governor’s order only suspended the congressional races and not elections for other offices. The move comes as Republicans and Democrats nationwide are in a sort-of arms race to gain advantages for the maximum number of seats ahead of the November US House midterm elections.

Others named defendants are Secretary of State Nancy Landry (R) and Attorney General Liz Murrill (R).

The nation’s high court “has spoken, and a three-judge federal court has already made clear that Louisiana cannot conduct congressional elections under its now-unconstitutional map. Louisiana is following the law,” Murrill said in an emailed statement, adding that she’ll “vigorously defend” the state against lawsuits seeking to block the congressional election suspension.

The challengers are represented by Jamar Lanier Ennis of Baton Rouge, La., Gideon T. Carter III of Baton Rouge, La., NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., the ACLU Foundation of Louisiana, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, John Adcock of New Orleans, Harvard Law School’s Race & Law Clinic, Elias Law Group LLP, and Most & Associates.

The cases are Garcia v. Landry, M.D. La., No. 3:26-cv-00471, complaint filed 4/30/26, Sims v. Landry, La. Dist. Ct., case number unavailable, petition filed 5/1/26, and National Council of Jewish Women--Greater New Orleans Section v. Landry, La. Dist. Ct., case number unavailable, petition filed 5/1/26.