Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed new maps for Georgia’s congressional delegation, state Senate and state House into law, resulting in three immediate lawsuits challenging the maps, even as candidates gear up to run under the new lines.
The new districts are designed to increase the number of Republicans in Georgia’s 14-member congressional delegation from eight to nine, turning the suburban Atlanta 6th District now held by Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath into a strongly Republican district. McBath has already announced that she’s jumping to the new 7th District in Gwinnett and Fulton counties, which was made much more Democratic, to mount a primary challenge against fellow Democratic U.S. Rep Carolyn Bourdeaux.
The state Senate map is projected to keep 59%, or 33, of the Senate’s 56 seats in GOP hands. That’s down from 34 right now. The state House map is projected to keep 54% of House seats, or 98 of 180, in Republican hands. That’s down from 103 Republicans now.
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