Georgia’s new Congressional and legislative voting districts have been accepted by a federal judge.
The new districts created new majority-Black voting districts and protect Republican advantages.
Driving the news: Georgia needed new maps after the previous ones were found to be illegally diluting minority voting populations.
- The federal judge rejected claims that the new maps did not sufficiently benefit Black voters, stating that he could not interfere with legislative choices even if it protected Republican power.
- These approved maps are likely to maintain the current 9-5 Republican majority among Georgia’s 14 congressional seats, as well as retain GOP majorities in the state Senate and House.
- While the new maps added Black-majority districts as ordered by the judge, the maps were also redrawn in some Democratic-held districts to favor Republicans, potentially affecting Democratic Representative Lucy McBath’s district in the Atlanta suburbs.
