The battle over Georgia’s redistricting maps has taken a new turn as a federal judge has upheld the state’s Republican-drawn plan. This decision will have significant implications for the 2024 election cycle, as several incumbents have already announced their plans to run in newly redrawn districts.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat who currently represents the 6th District, expressed hope that the judicial system would not allow the state Legislature to suppress the will of Georgia voters. However, in light of the federal judge’s ruling, she has announced that she will be running for reelection in the newly drawn 7th District, stating that “too much is at stake to stand down now.”
On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick plans to run in the newly drawn 7th District, while long-serving Democratic U.S. Rep. David Scott has announced his intention to seek reelection in the 13th District, which still favors a Democratic candidate despite being redrawn by Republicans.
The legal battle over the redistricting maps has been ongoing, with Democrats and left-leaning groups challenging the maps on the basis that they diluted Black voting power. Despite this, the courts ultimately upheld the revised maps, making it likely that they will be in place for the 2024 election.
The new 6th District includes parts of Cobb County that McBath represented when she was first elected in 2018. However, the Republican-controlled Legislature’s approval of a new map made it unlikely for McBath to win in 2022, leading to her decision to run in the newly drawn 7th District instead.
This development sets the stage for a heated and closely watched election cycle in Georgia, as candidates and voters grapple with the implications of the redistricting decision. It remains to be seen how this will impact the political landscape in the state and the nation as a whole.