Shuwaski Young, 2027 Republican candidate for Mississippi Secretary of State, issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s consideration of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and its impact on fair redistricting in Mississippi:
Mississippians are no longer living through the realities of the 1960s. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was meant to ensure equal opportunity at the ballot box, not to guarantee specific electoral outcomes.
Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District, long held by Bennie Thompson, reveals how race-based districting and racially polarized voting has protected his political power and fueled racial division in Mississippi for decades.
Race should not be a motivating factor in drawing voter districts. District maps should be based on geography and population volume, not racial calculations designed to preserve one seat. That’s why I believe race based districts are indeed unconstitutional. The Court’s review of Louisiana v. Callais marks a defining moment for redistricting laws, especially in states like Mississippi.
It is my hope that Mississippi legislators adopt fair and commonsense congressional maps if the Supreme Court revises the standards under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Learn more about Shuwaski Young for Secretary of State at youngformississippi.com.
