Governor Jeff Landry has issued an executive order suspending Louisiana’s closed party primary elections only for U.S. House races following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case Louisiana v. Callais.
In a statement, Landry said the decision was necessary to prevent elections from being held under what the court determined was an unconstitutional congressional map.
“The best way to end race-based discrimination is to stop making decisions based on race,” Landry said. “Allowing elections to proceed under an unconstitutional map would undermine the integrity of our system and violate the rights of our voters.”
The Supreme Court ruling, issued April 29, found Louisiana’s current congressional district map unconstitutional. The decision reinstated a lower court injunction blocking the state from using the map in future congressional elections.
Because of the ruling, Louisiana’s closed party primary elections for U.S. House seats — originally scheduled for May 16, 2026 — along with the second primary set for June 27, 2026, have been suspended. Early voting for the May election had been scheduled to begin May 2.
State officials said the suspension applies only to U.S. House races. All other elections, including U.S. Senate primaries, and ballot measures scheduled for May 16 will continue as planned.
The executive order comes after the Louisiana Secretary of State certified that an electoral emergency exists under Louisiana law. The law allows the governor to delay or suspend elections in order to protect voter participation and preserve the integrity of the election process.
Landry also thanked Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill for her work on the case.
You may read Landry’s executive order below.
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