“Today, SCOTUS dealt a devastating blow to one of America’s most hard-won civil rights achievements”

See below for reactions by Virginia and national Democrats to the illegitimate, far-right U.S. Supreme Court effectively gutting the Voting Rights Act. And yes, every Democrat running for Congress or for President in 2028 needs to commit to supporting MAJOR reforms of the US Supreme Court, or why should any of us support them? Because the bottom line is that if we don’t do that, we’re essentially dooming the next Democratic president’s entire agenda, and the country as a whole, because the US Supreme Court will keep making up b.s. reasons to kill any/all progressive legislation, keep the wealthy and corporations in charge, destroy our democracy, etc.

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KAINE STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT DECISION GUTTING VOTING RIGHTS ACT 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a former civil rights lawyer, released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that further eviscerates Voting Rights Act protections:

“The Supreme Court’s decision to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais marks a very dark day in our history. Since 1965, the Voting Rights Act has been a core pillar of civil rights law in America. That is, until an increasingly reactionary Supreme Court began chipping away at it in 2013, despite the fact that overwhelmingly bipartisan majorities in Congress reauthorized the law five times. The Court’s latest ruling will make it extremely difficult to challenge racially discriminatory congressional maps, and threatens to undo major progress America has made toward realizing our Founders’ vision of an equal, just society for all.”

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Sen. Mark Warner: “This morning’s Supreme Court ruling only further underscores the urgent need for Congress to protect and expand voting rights. We still need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.”

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Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA07): “Today, SCOTUS dealt a devastating blow to one of America’s most hard-won civil rights achievements. By rendering Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act effectively unenforceable, the court has invited states to systematically dilute minority voting power with impunity. Congress must respond by bringing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the floor without delay.”

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DNC Chair Slams Supreme Court Decision Gutting the Voting Rights Act

Republican legislatures and governors now have to decide whether to undermine the power of Black, Latino, AANHPI, and Native American voters in their states

Today, in its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the core requirement of the Voting Rights Act to protect minority opportunity districts. The Court overturned decades of precedent and undercut a core victory of the Civil Rights Movement. With this ruling, the Court has opened the door to diluting Black, Latino, AANHPI, and Native American representation across the country, especially in the South, where Republicans have made clear they want to split the voting power of minority communities.

In September, Trump’s DOJ explicitly asked the Court to allow Republican legislators to weaken, and in some cases eliminate, the voting power of communities of color. The administration’s request — and today’s decision — go hand in hand with Trump and Republicans’ plot to rig congressional maps to dilute the voting power of Black and Latino voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Today’s decision gives Republican legislatures and governors the power to undermine the power of Black, Latino, AANHPI, and Native American voters in their states — and where they choose to, Democrats will push back all across the country, every step of the way.

In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:

“Today is a dark day for America — the Supreme Court just rolled back the clock on the Civil Rights Movement. The GOP-captured Supreme Court just effectively killed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a major step back in the fight for racial justice and fair representation. While today’s decision is a gut punch, make no mistake: Democrats will fight tooth and nail to ensure the voices of all Americans will be heard in November and in every election that follows.”

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BREAKING: DLCC Statement on Supreme Court Weakening the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais

The Supreme Court’s ruling raises the stakes of winning state legislatures on the DLCC’s target map

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court released a decision in Louisiana v. Callais that weakens key parts of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, empowering state Republicans to rig maps and racially gerrymander with little to no guardrails. This massive step backward for our democracy and fair representation raises the stakes for the midterms and winning power in state legislatures across the country.

The DLCC has unveiled our largest target map ever to build power for Democrats through new majorities and benchmarks of power across the country. The ability to push back on this disastrous Supreme Court decision will come down to the power Democrats secure in the states this November.

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Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:

“Today is a devastating day for democracy and a wake-up call for all those who seek to protect it. With key parts of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act weakened, Republicans are now more empowered to drag our democracy backward, silence communities of color, and rig maps to protect their own power. State legislatures play a role in drawing over 300 congressional districts, and we must charge into the 2026 elections clear-eyed about the urgency and stakes of the once-in-a-generation opportunity to build Democratic power in the states.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment: Democrats must build more durable state legislative majorities and break out of superminorities so Democratic governors can fight against GOP gerrymanders. The DLCC has the national strategy to counter the worst effects of this court ruling from becoming a reality – we don’t have a moment to lose.”

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) leads the national strategy to secure Democratic power in our state legislatures. We are the campaign arm for more than 3,000 state legislators and thousands of candidates across all 50 states who are advancing Democratic values and standing up to the dangerous MAGA agenda every single day. Over the last decade, our work has flipped 10 new chamber majorities. Those new majorities have ensured Democrats in state legislatures are positioned to protect our democracy and fundamental rights, while addressing the high cost of living and advancing opportunities. The DLCC’s national strategy and target map continue to pinpoint the most efficient paths to Democratic power across all 50 states. 

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Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04): 

“Today, SCOTUS released a 6-3 decision that guts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and opens the door for a new wave of unbridled racial gerrymandering. Here’s why this is personal for me and so many others across our country

When my great-grandfather registered to vote, he was forced to take a literacy test and find three white men to vouch for his character. My father and grandfather were forced to pay poll taxes to register to vote. My family has felt the weight of voter suppression for generations. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) changed that for the better when Section 2 banned such voting practices that discriminate on the basis of race or language.

While the 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais upholds the constitutionality of Section 2, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court leaves it powerless to address racial discrimination in our electoral system. This devastating blow is the latest step in the Roberts Court’s campaign to erode key protections of the VRA, beginning with the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision.

Today’s ruling makes it nearly impossible to ensure minority voters have a fair opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice and threatens Black representation across the country. These ongoing attacks pull us farther away from the ideals upon which our nation was founded and undermine generations of progress to achieve fair participation and representation in a government by, of and for the people.

I’ve fought to expand voting rights for decades, championing legislation in 2021 that made Virginia the first state in the South to adopt its own Voting Rights Act. Now, we must continue to stand against new challenges to these efforts, and Congress must act to restore the VRA protections gutted since Shelby County v. Holder.

I condemn all efforts to roll back the progress we have made over the past century. These attacks cannot go unchecked. I’ll continue working alongside lawmakers, advocates and public officials to pursue all avenues to strengthen and defend the protections that allowed millions of people, including my family, to exercise their constitutional right to participate in our democracy.

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Speaker Don Scott Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Decision Gutting the Voting Rights Act

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Speaker of the House of Delegates Don Scott released the following statement today in response to the United States Supreme Court’s decision gutting key protections of the Voting Rights Act:

“I was born just days after John Lewis crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge – a moment that helped force this country to live up to its promise. Our democracy, as we know it – one where everyone has a real voice – didn’t truly begin until the Voting Rights Act was passed and all Americans were fully included in this democratic experiment.

“Today, the United States Supreme Court took a sledgehammer to the Voting Rights Act. For nearly 60 years, it has protected Americans from discrimination at the ballot box. This decision guts a core part of that protection – silencing communities that have fought and bled to be heard. Justice Elena Kagan said it plainly: the Court is turning a cornerstone of the law into ‘all but a dead letter.’ That should alarm every American.

“This is exactly why Virginians fought back and voted YES. We made it clear – we’re not going to let politicians rig the system and steal our voices. While this Court is moving backward, Virginia is moving forward. We will continue to put power in the hands of the people – fighting back against political power grabs and attempts to roll back the progress we’ve made. The fight continues.”

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