SouthernWorldwide.com – Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves has signaled he will not immediately proceed with redistricting efforts, a move that represents a significant setback for former President Donald Trump’s strategy for the midterm elections.
This decision comes in the wake of a crucial Supreme Court ruling concerning how race can be considered in the redistricting process. Following the “Callais” decision, several Republican-led states have moved to redraw their congressional maps, advocating for race-neutral approaches. Officials in Mississippi had been closely watching these developments.
Mississippi lawmakers were reportedly preparing to convene a special session next week to redraw state Supreme Court and potentially congressional districts. However, Governor Reeves canceled this session on Wednesday. The cancellation followed the overturning of a judge’s ruling that had previously found the court district maps inhibited Black candidates.
This situation has put a spotlight on efforts to unseat Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson, the former chairman of the January 6th Committee. Reeves stated, “Understand something, that maybe while it may be in the best interest of some individual politicians in Mississippi to talk about congressional redistricting, what happens in Mississippi doesn’t happen in a vacuum.”
He further elaborated on his radio appearance, saying, “I’m going to do what’s in the best interest of Mississippi and I’m going to do what’s in the best interest of America and I’m going work very closely with the Trump administration to accomplish both of those goals.”
Reeves defended his stance against accusations of flip-flopping on congressional redistricting. He pointed out that Mississippi’s primary election on March 10th has already passed, making any immediate changes to the voting landscape more complicated. He also reiterated his support for ending what he described as Thompson’s 33-year “reign of terror.”
Despite the delay in congressional redistricting, Reeves suggested that this does not hinder the renewed efforts by State Auditor Shad White and others to shift Mississippi’s Republican representation from a 3-1 split to a 4-0 advantage, thereby ousting Thompson.
Bennie Thompson, a prominent Democrat representing Hinds County, is seeking his 18th term. He currently represents a district that is predominantly Black and largely impoverished, situated in the Delta region. With redistricting potentially on the horizon, his reliably Democratic seat is seen as vulnerable.
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Thompson and Reeves have previously exchanged words on social media platform X. Thompson had depicted an elephant painting Mississippi “white,” while Reeves countered that Thompson was incorrect to claim ownership of the district with the term “my” instead of referring to the people of Mississippi.
Voting rights activist Scott Presler commented on the timeline, stating, “It must be done to go into effect before the 2026 elections.” Pastor William Pierce of Columbia presented a state map with evenly divided Republican districts, asserting, “this must be done now.” Governor Reeves, however, indicated that the issue is not a matter of “if” but “when,” and that he plans for the changes to take effect for the 2027 statewide elections.
As the Supreme Court was preparing to issue its Callais ruling, Reeves had announced his intention to call a special session 21 days after the decision to consider redistricting. He shared this on Instagram, noting he was making an exception to his usual practice of not making news on a Friday afternoon.
Shad White, who has gained prominence in the GOP for his investigations into fraud and waste, has been vocal in his criticism of Thompson. White called Thompson “the worst congressman in America” and emphasized the need to promptly address the state’s map that currently favors him.
“As chair of the January 6 Committee, anyone who supports President Trump is not happy that Bennie Thompson represents a part of our state,” White stated, highlighting the political animosity.
White asserted that he is the first statewide official to explicitly advocate for redrawing the district to remove Thompson. He believes it is both legally and practically feasible to alter the districts to create a 4-0 Republican state, citing Alabama’s recent success in getting its “Livingston Map” approved by the courts.
Similar to Alabama, White mentioned that Mississippi officials have numerous pre-prepared maps available. These include options designed to ensure each of the four congressional districts has a balanced level of support for Trump, based on 2024 election results, with each district showing at least 15 points of support.
“The real question is just whether our politicians here have the courage to actually get Bennie Thompson out. And that question remains unanswered right now,” White remarked, underscoring the political will required.
White noted that Mississippi has had districts favoring Thompson for decades. Thompson himself acknowledged to a local NBC affiliate that Republicans have been drawing the maps since his election to Congress in 1992.
Thompson contends that race is the underlying issue in the proposed redistricting plans. He stated, “I have a voting record that no other person in the [Mississippi] delegation can touch for those things that we need the most: Health care, housing, better educational opportunities… but they’d rather put somebody in position who’s against those things. And the only difference between Bennie Thompson and the rest of the delegation that represent Mississippi in Washington is that I’m Black.”
Thompson further drew parallels between the current situation and Mississippi’s history of requiring federal intervention to ensure equal rights for Black people, including during the Civil Rights era and suffrage movements. He described the current dynamic as “Jim Crow 2.0” and vowed to “fight back with every fiber.”
Meanwhile, Shad White pointed to New England as an example of how a state can redraw districts to unseat a particular representative. He referenced Kamala Harris’s 38% performance in that region, suggesting it mirrors the GOP partisan makeup of multi-district blue states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine.
State Senator Michael McLendon, R-Hernando, has joined Shad White’s call to redraw the map, aiming to “give Speaker Johnson another ‘+1’ and send Bennie Thompson home.”
McLendon disputed concerns about the timeline, recalling that Democrats successfully sued Mississippi to redraw his region, which resulted in the GOP losing its supermajority. He noted that he was still able to run in a mid-off-year primary despite these changes.
Representative Steven Ezell expressed his priorities, stating, “My focus remains on serving the people of South Mississippi and fighting for our conservative values in Congress.”
With the prospect of a 4-0 Mississippi map before the midterm elections now diminished, House Speaker Mike Johnson in neighboring Louisiana will have one less potential seat gain. This comes as he faces a series of Republican retirements and a general voter malaise toward Trump, in his efforts to maintain Republican control of the House.
