Maryland leaders responded Wednesday following the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a Black-majority U.S. district in Louisiana.
Per Scripps News Group, six of the court's judges formed the majority, while the three other judges dissented.
Wednesday's ruling is expected to diminish the Voting Rights Act, which was put in place to prohibit mapmakers from diluting minority voting power through tactics such as "packing" or "cracking" voters into certain districts.
RELATED: Supreme Court backs GOP in Louisiana redistricting, limiting Black voters’ influence
Leaders from across Maryland condemned the court's decision.
Their statements can be read below:
Senator Angela Alsobrooks:
“John Lewis was beaten with clubs wrapped in barbed wire on the Edmund Pettus Bridge fighting for voting rights.
“Today’s SCOTUS decision takes the sacrifice and fight of all who marched before us and throws it away.
“We must keep marching — too many have fought too hard to give up.”
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Governor Wes Moore:
“The Supreme Court's decision to kneecap the Voting Rights Act will make it easier to discriminate, easier to suppress, and easier to silence voters who have already fought too long and too hard for the right to be heard. The VRA was built to stop discrimination before it took root, but this decision is a betrayal of the idea that in America, every vote counts.
“Make no mistake: the plan is already in motion. Across the country, Republicans are openly floating mid-decade maps designed to dilute Black voters' representation. That is not theoretical. It is political redlining, and it is happening in real time.
“We need national redistricting reform to protect the right to equal representation under the law, but Washington Republicans have repeatedly rejected those efforts and bent the knee to Donald Trump as he unleashes chaos on our economy and in our communities. I've said before, and my position remains unmoved: Until we have national redistricting reform, every state should stay part of the conversation.
“Maryland has a fundamental responsibility to meet this moment. This week, I signed the Maryland Voting Rights Act into law, because we refuse to wait for Washington to do the right thing. We will use every tool available to defend the constitutional right to representation, protect access to the ballot, and ensure that every Marylander has an equal voice in our democracy.”
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House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk:
Today’s Supreme Court decision further weakening the federal Voting Rights Act is a painful reminder that the right to vote cannot depend on the shifting judgment of the federal courts.
We believe that today’s ruling does not limit our ability to protect discrimination in Maryland elections. In fact, it underscores that states must lead because federal protections are no longer enough.
We anticipated this day. That’s why Maryland passed our own Voting Rights Act in the final moments of session — to ensure that every voter has a fair chance to be heard, represented, and counted.
But every American deserves the same protections. Voters shouldn’t have to rely on their states doing the right thing to have basic fairness in the democratic process. That’s why we need national standards, so that millions of minority voters are not disenfranchised.
The House passed a mid-decade redistricting plan this session to ensure Maryland voices were not lost because of extreme actions in other states. It was the right thing to do to meet the moment we are in. And while none of us like this moment, it was a fight we could not ignore.
Ultimately, Congress needs leaders who will stand up and put an end to the gerrymandering arms race that counts voters as the casualties. The House will continue to do everything it can to protect Maryland representation in the halls of Congress.
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Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown:
“The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was written because generations of Americans, Black Americans in particular, were systematically locked out of the fundamental right that makes all other rights possible: the right to vote. Today, the Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to that law, and to the people it was written to protect. This decision guts a signature achievement of the civil rights movement and moves the nation away from its highest ideals.
Maryland will not stand idly by as decades of civil rights protections are dismantled, nor will this Office stand down. I was proud to support the Maryland Voting Rights Act of 2026, which Governor Moore signed into law just yesterday. Maryland did not wait for Washington to act. We built our own backstop. Today’s ruling makes that law more important than ever.
The right to vote is the foundation of everything we are as a democracy. I will not stop fighting to defend it.”
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The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland strongly condemns today’s United States Supreme Court decision weakening protections under Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act, making it significantly harder to challenge racial vote dilution and protect fair representation for Black and minority voters across the country.
This decision represents another dangerous step backward in the ongoing fight for civil rights and equal access to the ballot. At a time when federal protections are being weakened, Maryland has chosen to lead.
During the 2026 Legislative Session, the Maryland Voting Rights Act was a major legislative priority of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. The Caucus worked diligently throughout the session to advance this critical legislation and ensure Maryland remained a national leader in protecting access to the ballot.
Sponsored by Senator Charles Sydnor III and Delegate Gregory Wims, the Maryland Voting Rights Act strengthens protections against voter suppression, provides stronger legal tools to challenge discriminatory voting practices, and helps ensure communities of color are fully represented in our democracy.
“The right to vote is not optional, negotiable, or partisan. It is fundamental,” said Delegate N. Scott Phillips, Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. “The Legislative Black Caucus made passage of the Maryland Voting Rights Act a priority this session because we understand that democracy only works when every voice can be heard and every vote can be protected. When the Supreme Court weakens federal protections, states must step forward. Maryland did exactly that.”
The Caucus commends Speaker Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Senator Sydnor, Delegate Wims, and members of the Maryland General Assembly for their leadership and commitment to protecting democracy in Maryland.
As the largest state legislative Black caucus in the nation, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland remains committed to ensuring that every voter is seen, every voice is heard, and every community has equal power in our democratic process.
The ballot is a right. Maryland will defend it.
