Breaking news out of the Supreme Court. And the effects will be felt far and wide in Georgia.

In this Edition of the Draper Paper

• The Voting Rights Act is Dead. What’s next in Georgia?

• Call to Action: Tell Governor Kemp don’t redraw our maps ahead of the midterms

• Support our efforts

Yesterday was a devastating blow to voting rights in the United States. The Supreme Court issued their opinion in Louisiana v. Callais, effectively eviscerating the remaining protections of the federal Voting Rights Act (“VRA”) and the limitations on racial gerrymandering and discrimination in voting. It will go down in history as a cynical and insidious opinion issued by the Court’s six conservative justices. 

State legislatures now have the green light to politically gerrymander - the process of drawing districts for the purpose of giving one political party an advantage. The decision adds fuel to the fire of the pressure campaign by Trump to get Republican-controlled states to redraw maps ahead of the midterms. Until yesterday, Georgia had largely been exempt from these discussions because many of our congressional districts have diverse populations, and thus had been protected from extreme political gerrymandering by the VRA. Those protections are now gone.  

Trump is calling on states to change the maps because he will lose his majorities in Congress if they don’t. He has failed to deal with the affordability crisis, he has pulled us into more forever wars, and rather than be accountable to the people for his actions (and failures to act), he wants to change the rules in the middle of the game. Cheating is the only way he can win.

And state legislatures are falling in line. Florida passed new maps yesterday that could add four republican house seats in congress. Louisiana announced today it will cancel and re-schedule its upcoming primaries in order to consider its options. 

And here in Georgia, Republican statewide candidates, hoping to curry favor with Trump, are publicly calling for a special session to redraw ours.

What is going to happen next in Georgia? It’s a near certainty Republicans are going to redraw the maps to cement their majorities in the Georgia House and Senate. They are terrified of running under the current maps because they see Democrats gaining momentum and flipping the state House. But the question is, when will they do it? Will they do it in time to change Georgia’s congressional maps ahead of the midterms? Here are the two options I see.  

1. Succumb to Trump’s pressure and hold a special legislative session immediately to redraw new maps for the midterms in November. 

To say this is an extreme and audacious choice is an understatement. Because voting has already started in our primaries, this choice would require Republicans to cancel the primaries, re-open candidate qualifying for all the newly changed districts, and re-schedule the primaries for later in the year. 

Setting aside the waste of taxpayer money and chaos this would cause, this would be a naked and despicable power grab. And it will have a major blowback effect for Republicans in November, likely propelling Democratic statewide candidates to victory. Here’s the question– will Georgia Republicans risk this backlash to appease Trump?

2. Hold a special legislative session to redraw new maps this year, but too late to affect midterms in November. 

This option would redraw the maps for 2028. We wouldn’t have to re-run the primary. By doing it in a special session this year (as opposed to during the regular session next year), they could ensure their maps are not vetoed by a Democratic Governor or stopped by a Democratically-controlled House or Senate.

This is still a blatant power grab, but would allow our primaries to continue as planned.  However, should they choose this option, Republicans would risk facing the wrath of Trump and his supporters who want an advantage in the midterms.

Both of these options require Governor Kemp to call a special session of the legislature.

It must be an interesting moment for him as he considers his legacy.  He garnered a lot of respect for standing up to Trump after the 2020 election. Is he going to tarnish his legacy by bowing down to Trump and creating maps that diminish minority voting power in Georgia? 

Because that is the choice he has to make – does he sacrifice the voice of minorities to enshrine partisan advantage?

Georgia is on the verge of becoming a majority-minority state, if it isn’t already. Redrawing the maps silences minority voices – whether a Trump stacked Supreme Court says it’s legal or not. There is a difference between what is legal and what is right. Republicans should have to win by selling their message and being accountable to Georgians– not by redrawing the maps to pick their voters!

I’m deeply concerned about what the Callais decision means for the state of politics in Georgia. But we need to do what we can to preserve the democratic ideals of fair voting and fair representation.

Please join me in calling on Governor Kemp not to call a special session.  Do not engage in fixing the maps. Allow all Georgians their voice– whether they agree with you, vote like you, or look like you. Let the chips fall where they may. 

I’ve created a tool that will allow you to send this message to Governor Kemp right away. It will only take you 30 seconds.  He needs to understand Georgians are watching his next moves very closely.

>> Send an email to Governor Kemp now!  Don’t call a special session! Don't steal our voice!

Yours in service,