The U.S. Supreme Court orders a lower court to review Washington state's legislative redistricting maps to ensure compliance with the 2026 Louisiana v. Callais precedent, which limits the use of race in boundary drawing. While the October 5, 2026 decision does not impact the November 2026 election, it could lead to map changes before 2031. The case stems from a 2022 challenge by Yakima Valley Latino voters who argued their voting power was diluted.
The Supreme Court's remand order
- ▪Both the plaintiffs contesting the 2024 Washington legislative map and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown requested the U.S. Supreme Court to remand the redistricting case to a lower court.
- ▪On October 5, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court accepted a legal challenge to Washington's legislative boundaries and remanded the Washington 15th Legislative District case to a lower court
- ▪The U.S. Supreme Court's October 5, 2026 order will not affect next month's election but could alter Washington's legislative district boundaries before the next scheduled redrawing in 2031.
Influence of the Louisiana precedent
- ▪In the April 2026 Louisiana v. Callais decision, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the use of race in drawing congressional district boundaries under the federal Voting Rights Act.
- ▪In a June 2026 brief, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown argued that lower courts should have the first opportunity to apply the Louisiana v. Callais precedent to the Washington redistricting case.
Petition to overturn maps
- ▪Jose Trevino and Washington State Representative Alex Ybarra filed a lawsuit to overturn the redrawn legislative maps, petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2026.
- ▪Attorneys for the original plaintiffs in the Washington redistricting lawsuit wanted the U.S. Supreme Court to deny the petition filed in January 2026 by Jose Trevino and Washington State Representative Alex Ybarra
Approval of the 2024 map
- ▪Annabelle Harless of the Campaign Legal Center stated that the 2024 redrawn legislative map successfully provided Latino voters in the Yakima Valley with an equal voice in elections for the first time in decades.
- ▪In early 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik approved new legislative boundaries for Washington to enhance the political voice of Latino voters.
- ▪The 2024 legislative map revision shifted more than 300,000 people across 13 legislative districts in eastern and western Washington.
- ▪The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 2024 Washington redistricting map, concluding that race was not the predominant factor in shaping the redrawn boundaries.
Origins of the 2022 map dispute
- ▪The Washington redistricting dispute began when Latino voters challenged the 15th Legislative District boundaries approved by the Washington State Legislature in early 2022, alleging a violation of the federal Voting Rights Act.
- ▪Plaintiffs in the Washington redistricting lawsuit argued that the 2022 legislative map fractured Latino voting strength in the Yakima Valley by including low-turnout areas and excluding highly active communities.
Debatable claims
- ▪Washington's 2024 legislative map goes too far in using race to draw district boundaries
- ▪Federal judges should not redraw state legislative maps to correct Voting Rights Act violations
- ▪The disruption of shifting 300,000 residents in Washington's 2024 map was justified
Story comments
Loading comments…