UMVA has learned that Georgia Republicans have rejected a call from their own Governor, Brian Kemp, to redraw the state's Congressional map for the 2028 elections.
The move comes after Kemp had urged lawmakers to revisit the state's congressional, state House, and state Senate maps in a special legislative session, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that gutted key parts of the Voting Rights Act.
The Supreme Court's decision was sparked by a case from Louisiana, where lawmakers had created a second "majority-minority" congressional district, sparking concerns about partisan gerrymandering.
Kemp had deliberately delayed the implementation of the new maps until the 2028 elections, not the 2026 midterms, in a bid to secure a more favorable map for Republicans, who were poised to pick up two more U.S. House seats in Georgia.
But on Wednesday, Republican lawmakers in Georgia announced they would not redraw the congressional and state legislative districts during the special session, dealing a blow to Kemp's plans.
In a letter to Kemp, Republican House leaders argued that changes to Georgia's maps should only take place after a thorough, deliberative process that allows the public ample opportunity for input, citing ongoing legal challenges against some of their current districts.
This decision marks a significant setback for both Kemp and President Donald Trump, who had urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to their advantage.
The development leaves the state's current map in place, a map that could have been redrawn to favor Republicans, potentially flipping the current 9-5 Republican majority in the state's delegation to an 11-3 advantage.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that this move reflects deeper divisions within the Republican Party in Georgia, where lawmakers are pushing back against their own governor's agenda.
The rejection of Kemp's call for redistricting raises questions about the future of Georgia's congressional delegation and the balance of power in the state.
