Phoenix, Arizona — Republican leaders in Arizona are considering legal action to force the state’s independent redistricting commission to redraw congressional district boundaries ahead of the 2028 elections following a recent Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said Wednesday that Republican lawmakers are analyzing whether courts could compel the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission to reconvene and create a new congressional map that does not consider race as a factor in drawing districts. Petersen cited the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which ruled that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act does not require states to create additional majority-minority congressional districts.
Petersen argued congressional maps should be “colorblind” and said Republicans may move quickly if they decide to pursue litigation. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature.
Democrats strongly criticized the proposal. State Sen. Analise Ortiz warned that weakening protections tied to minority representation could undermine voting rights and revive discriminatory practices historically used in redistricting. Ortiz described Republican efforts to intervene in the commission’s normal redistricting cycle as “blatant cheating.”
Arizona uses an independent commission made up of two Republicans, two Democrats, and one independent member to redraw district maps after each census. Any legal effort to redraw the maps before the next census would likely trigger lengthy court battles and national political attention.
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