Louisiana’s top election official, Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, is the defendant in the lawsuit, which was assigned to Civil District Court Judge Sidney Cates. The plaintiffs include Democrats living in Louisiana’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th congressional districts, which the suit says are now overpopulated relevant to the sprawling 4th and 5th districts that dominate north and central Louisiana.
All but the 2nd District are solidly Republican.
The “impasse litigation” lawsuit was one of three filed in state courts across the nation with backing from the National Redistricting Action Fund, which announced its plans Tuesday during a call with former Attorney General Eric Holder. Similar lawsuits were announced for Minnesota and Pennsylvania.