Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, says 19 CBC members could be endangered by recent Republican-led redistricting after the Supreme Court narrowed the reach of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Court also lifted an injunction on an Alabama map that could make Rep. Shomari Figures’ seat more vulnerable; Alabama scheduled special primaries for Aug. 11. Earlier GOP redraws in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have placed other CBC members at risk. The caucus has already lost members recently to deaths and a resignation amid an ethics probe.
CBC Chair Warns 19 Members Could Lose Seats After GOP Redistricting, Supreme Court Rulings
19 Congressional Black Caucus members could be affected by redistricting: Chair
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), warned Tuesday that 19 members of the caucus face heightened risk after Republican-led redistricting efforts accelerated following recent Supreme Court decisions.
“It’s devastating. People have sacrificed so much to make this a more perfect union. And here we are, in 2026, seeing this massive regression in all the gains that have been made. It’s painful,” Clarke told NBC News.
The warning follows a string of rulings and court actions affecting congressional maps across the South. Last month the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map as unconstitutional and narrowed how Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act constrains state legislatures and redistricting commissions when drawing districts. That provision bars voting practices and procedures that result in racial discrimination.
On Monday the high court also lifted a lower court injunction on a congressional map drawn by Alabama Republicans. If used in this election cycle, analysts say the map would improve the GOP’s chances of flipping the seat held by Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), who won his first term in 2024 by more than nine points over Republican Caroleene Dobson.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) announced a special primary for Aug. 11 in the state’s 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th congressional districts. Figures and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) represent the 2nd and 7th districts, respectively, and are the only CBC members from Alabama.
“That’s all this case was ever about. It was not about a stacked deck or a guarantee or a promise of Black representation. It was about a legitimate opportunity,” Figures told CNN’s Kasie Hunt, calling the court’s action a loss of a legitimate opportunity for Black voters to elect candidates of their choice.
Even before the Louisiana ruling, Republican-controlled legislatures in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina had redrawn congressional lines. Those changes have put additional CBC members — including Reps. Don Davis (D-N.C.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Al Green (D-Texas) and Marc Veasey (D-Texas) — at increased risk of losing their seats.
The CBC entered the 119th Congress with a record 62 members. Over the past 16 months the caucus has seen membership decline: Reps. David Scott (D-Ga.) and Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) died, and then-Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned amid a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged misuse of disaster relief funds.
Advocates and lawmakers on both sides say the developments will reverberate through the 2026 midterms, shaping representation and the balance of power in closely contested districts. As states finalize new maps and special primaries proceed, the stakes for minority voting power and congressional representation remain high.
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