Mississippi politicians are threatening to redraw the district of Bennie Thompson, the state's lone Democrat in Congress, following a Supreme Court decision that effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Thompson, who is also the state's only Black congressional representative, said the ruling was 'red meat to the Republican legislators of the south.'
Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Redistricting Threats
Conservative lawmakers in Mississippi have explicitly targeted Thompson, threatening to redraw the second congressional district he represents. Federal protections initially stipulated by the VRA prevented states from 'bad behavior' or methods used to suppress voters, such as asking Black voters how many bubbles were in a bar of soap. With the Supreme Court's new interpretation of Section 2 in Louisiana v. Callais, Thompson warned that lawmakers could 'create an opportunity for people to not be represented or vote for the candidate of their choice.'
'Mischief could creep back in, just given the hostility associated with what you're hearing from state legislators and state elected officials,' he said.
Hostility Towards Thompson Intensifies
On Wednesday, Andy Gipson, the state's agriculture commissioner and a Republican gubernatorial candidate, made a lengthy Facebook post calling for redrawing lines to hurt Thompson's electoral chances. Shad White, the state's auditor and likely Republican gubernatorial candidate, has extensively posted on social media about Thompson, calling his district 'gerrymandered' and demanding it be redrawn.
Since Thompson was elected in 1993, his district has been drawn by majority Republican legislators. The last time it was redrawn, lawmakers added four rural counties that had never been in the second congressional district, despite Thompson suggesting including parts of Hinds and Madison counties he already partially represents. Today, the district is nearly 300 miles long with no public transportation, requiring Thompson to fly to Memphis or Baton Rouge to reach all areas.
'Whatever the perceived gerrymandering that Republican elected officials are saying, they have to take credit for it,' Thompson said.
Historical Context of Black Representation in Mississippi
Mississippi once had over 100 Black elected officials during Reconstruction, but that changed under Jim Crow with the 'Mississippi Plan' introducing poll taxes, felony disenfranchisement, and literacy tests. By 1964, only about 6.7% of eligible Black Mississippians were registered to vote. The VRA changed that, and in 1967, Robert G. Clark Jr. was elected as the state's first Black representative since Reconstruction.
Thompson noted that Mississippi now has the largest Black population in the US at about 38%, with much of that population in his district. 'The Voting Rights Act helped level the playing field for elected officials,' he said. 'Looking at the speed in which governors are calling special sessions, you can surmise that the motive is less than genuine with respect to representing all people.'
Southern States Move to Redraw Districts
Immediately following the Louisiana v. Callais decision, governors and officials in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and elsewhere called special sessions to redraw predominantly Black districts. Tennessee eliminated its one Black congressional district; Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new map; and Alabama's Republican majority has maps ready. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves initially called a special session but rescinded it, saying lawmakers would address redistricting later. He referred to Thompson's tenure as a 'reign of terror.'
Thompson predicted that Black representation would decline: 'By and large, every state that's rushing in the south to [redraw districts], the majority of their legislative delegations are Republican. They have publicly stated that this is their moment to change it. I think given those statements, you can assume that Black representation going forward will be on the decline.'
Thompson's Personal Connection to Voting Rights
Thompson, 78, was born nearly two decades before the VRA. His father died in 1964 without being able to vote. The VRA allowed Thompson to cast his first ballot because the local city clerk wouldn't register Black people. 'My mom and daddy worked, paid taxes, but their son couldn't get the same education as a white child in this town. But because of the Voting Rights Act, that child who had that separate and unequal education became the mayor of the town,' he said.
Much of the ire from Republicans stems from Thompson's chairing of the January 6 committee and his liberal voting record. 'Because I believe in diversity, equity and inclusion, I'm perceived as not Mississippian enough to represent Mississippi in Washington. Every socioeconomic indicator that Mississippi [ranks last], I voted to get us off the bottom. But to some of the people who have the authority to do redistricting, that's a problem,' he said. 'The good thing about running for public office is it gives people a choice. When you give people a choice and don't take that right away from them, they'll vote in their best interest.'
Call to Action
Thompson said the fight for representative democracy continues. Southern states face legal challenges to redrawn maps, and voting rights coalitions are mobilizing voters. 'This is our moment to organize, strategize and execute. We have to make sure we have all of the information that we can pull together. This dastardly decision by the US Supreme Court can serve as a catalyst for change. I want to be a part of it, because I know we're a better country than this. I'm disappointed when I see state officials in Mississippi trying to go back to the dark days of Jim Crow. We plan to resist with every fiber in our body to demonstrate our opposition,' he concluded.
