Georgia Republicans backtrack on redistricting plans

BREAKING NEWSJun. 17, 2026, 5:44 PM UTCElectionsElectionsGeorgia Republicans backtrack on redistricting plansAfter Gov. Brian Kemp called them into a special session, state lawmakers said they didn’t have enough time to draw new maps that would have taken effect for the 2028 elections.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp had called lawmakers into a special session to consider new maps.Andrew Harnik / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Jane C. TimmGeorgia lawmakers will not redraw the state’s political maps this month after GOP Gov. Brian Kemp called them into a special session to do so. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Following a major Supreme Court ruling on redistricting this spring, Kemp asked the Republican-led Legislature to consider new congressional and state legislative of the 2028 election, since the 2026 election is already underway.But on Wednesday afternoon, state Republican legislative leaders said they would not take up redistricting in the current special session.“When the House learned that it was placed on the call for a special session, we knew it was not the right path forward for our state at this time. We believe that it is important to do things the Georgia way — responsibly, transparently, and with ample opportunity for public input,” said House Speaker Jon Burns in a press conference at the state Capitol flanked by colleagues.Still, Republican leaders suggested they could revisit the issue ahead of the 2028 election cycle. “Because any changes to our current congressional or legislative districts would not go into effect until 2028, we believe it is prudent to take the appropriate and necessary time to do this important duty the right way and not to rush through it,” said Republican state Senate President Pro Tempore Larry Walker III.The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday that some Republicans feared a redistricting pus...