Garret Graves warns ‘boneheaded’ Louisiana map change could cost GOP House majority
Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) is warning that Louisiana’s “boneheaded” new congressional map could put House Republicans in jeopardy of losing their majority come November, after his district was redrawn to create a majority-Black district.
“In doing so [Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)] has a two-seat majority and they effectively just took one of those seats away voluntarily,” Graves told USA Today Network in an interview. “What happens if that causes Republicans to lose the House?”
“It was a boneheaded move to do what was done last week — a real head-scratcher. Nobody campaigned on these issues,” he added.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) on Monday approved the new map, which will redraw the state’s 6th Congressional District — currently represented by Graves. The new map followed a lengthy legal battle over the lines, which ended with a decision from a federal appeals court that said the state had to add a second majority-Black district by the middle of this month.
The new 6th District would run through the state from Baton Rouge to Shreveport which, according to The New York Times, would make the district include about 54 percent of Black voters. It will be the second majority-Black district in the state, alongside Rep. Troy Carter’s (D-La.) 2nd Congressional District.
Graves predicted the new map will face a challenge and ultimately be blocked, telling USA Today Network: “I expect with what's at stake you'll have one side or the other appeal and it goes to the 5th Circuit and ultimately the Supreme Court. … I don't see any scenario where this map holds.”
“They solely took race into consideration, which you can't do,” he added.
The new map is likely to hand Democrats another seat in the Louisiana delegation. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Graves’s district “is now a virtually certain Dem gain.”
The Louisiana Republican said he will vie for his sixth term in office despite the bleak outlook with the new map, telling USA Today Network “I'm running for reelection, period.” He did not, however, say which district he will run in. Candidates do not have to live in the districts they run to represent.
A loss would mark a stunning rise and fall for Graves, who was a close ally of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and helped broker high-profile deals before McCarthy was ousted from his leadership position and ultimately resigned from Congress. Graves, for example, played an instrumental role in the debt limit deal struck between McCarthy and President Biden.
Graves did not pin blame on any particular Sugar State politician for his electoral reality, but the new map is raising questions regarding Landry’s relationship with Graves. Graves backed Republican Stephen Waguespack in the state’s gubernatorial race last year, which he ultimately lost to Landry.
“I'm not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, but anyone who was compliant has lost their way,” Graves said.
“I can't speak to the motivation, but maps shouldn't be about trying to protect any incumbent,” he added. “If that were true why would you do this to the person on track to chair the Transportation Committee, arguably the most important committee for Louisiana?”