Georgia Gov Calls Special Session To Redraw Maps, Democrats Cry Gerrymandering
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday called a special session to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative districts before the 2028 elections.
Kemp signed a proclamation convening the General Assembly on June 17 to address redistricting after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling ended race-based gerrymandering.
The news, first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, comes as Republican-led states across the South move to redraw the maps ahead of the November midterms.
The special session next month in Atlanta is expected to center on new maps that could take effect for the 2028 election cycle, particularly if Republicans lose power in the governor’s office or state legislature this fall.
“The new maps could net Republicans two U.S. House districts and further entrench GOP power in GA’s General Assembly,” VoteHub, an independent election reporting outlet, said on social media.
NEWS — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has called a special session to redraw Georgia’s congressional, state House, and state Senate districts before the 2028 elections.
The new maps could net Republicans two U.S. House districts and further entrench GOP power in GA’s General Assembly.
— VoteHub (@VoteHub) May 13, 2026
Georgia’s Freedom Caucus, a state-level bloc of Republicans, celebrated the move, urging state lawmakers not to waste the opportunity.
“We must not let this opportunity go to waste,” the group said on social media. “The time is NOW to scrap the machines and go to paper ballots. The time is NOW to end racial gerrymandering and provide Georgians with fair electoral maps.
Democrats slammed the decision.
“We just learned that Georgia is moving forward with gerrymandering for 2028,” Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) posted on X. “There is an extreme movement in this country that will stop at nothing to hold on to power, even if it means stripping representation away from millions. I will fight this with everything I have.”
We just learned that Georgia is moving forward with gerrymandering for 2028.
There is an extreme movement in this country that will stop at nothing to hold on to power, even if it means stripping representation away from millions.
I will fight this with everything I have.
— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) May 13, 2026
Georgia’s Democratic Party said redistricting would undermine minority representation and energize its base.
“Governor Kemp’s decision to call a special session to redraw our maps immediately in the wake of the gutting of the Voting Rights Act is not only a brazen attempt to take away the voting power of Black Georgians – it shows just how scared Republicans are of Georgia voters,” the group said in a statement.
Georgia’s approach differs from other Republican-led states that have already moved forward with redistricting tied to more immediate election cycles. Florida and Tennessee have enacted new maps, while Alabama and Louisiana are expected to follow. On Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld new district lines expected to net Republicans a seat.
On Wednesday, several media outlets reported South Carolina GOP Gov. Henry McMaster is planning to call a special session next week to weigh a new map that could eliminate the state’s remaining Democratic seat after Republicans hit a procedural roadblock on Wednesday.
