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Louisiana Representative Garret Graves speaks during a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 31, 2023.
KeynoteUSA—
Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana announced Friday that he will not seek re-election, ending months of uncertainty after a new congressional map made his seat significantly Democratic.
“Representing south Louisiana and serving in the United States Congress has been an incredible honor,” Graves said in a statement, before adding that “running for Congress this year is pointless.”
Amid a long and tortuous legal battle over congressional lines in Louisiana, the U.S. Supreme Court last month allowed the state to use the new map in this year’s elections.
A federal judge had previously thrown out the existing map, saying it likely violated the Voting Rights Act. While black residents make up about a third of Louisiana’s population, the state has only one black lawmaker – also the only Democrat – in its six-member delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Under new lines drawn by the GOP-controlled state Legislature, Grave’s 6th Congressional District was redrawn as Louisiana’s second majority-Black district, one that Joe Biden would have won by 20 points in 2020.
Graves’ announcement will be a blow to House Republicans as they seek to defend their slim majority in the chamber.
There had been speculation that Graves might try to challenge a fellow Republican incumbent in a neighboring district. But House Speaker Mike Johnson, a fellow Louisianan, endorsed every Republican incumbent in the state’s delegation last month, including Graves, for reelection to his current 6th District seat.
The congressman admitted Friday that running for a different seat this year was not an option.
“It is clear that a run in any temporary district will do real permanent damage to Louisiana’s great representation in Congress,” he said in comments that hinted at possible additional legal challenges to the new map.
In recent months, Graves has faced opposition within his own party, at home and in Washington. The new map, which made Graves’ seat more Democratic, was supported by Republican Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. Graves endorsed Landry’s opponent in the state’s gubernatorial primary last year.
Graves was also among the closest allies of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from his leadership post in October. In the run-up to the historic vote, Graves criticized hardline members of the House Republican conference who were threatening to unseat McCarthy amid efforts to pass stopgap funding legislation.
McCarthy reacted to Graves’ announcement in a social media post Friday night, describing the Louisiana Republican as “a loyal friend” and “the best public service can and should be.”
“No matter the topic, Garret was the first to intervene with enthusiasm, intellect and a legendary sense of humor,” McCarthy said, adding that Graves’ “absence will be a significant loss to the conference and to the entire House.”
Graves was first elected to Congress in 2014, succeeding fellow Republican Bill Cassidy, who left the seat for a successful bid for the U.S. Senate. Under current lines, the 6th District, which includes parts of the Baton Rouge area, has been a Republican stronghold.
But the redrawn district now leans decidedly Democratic and stretches from Shreveport, in the state’s northwest, to Baton Rouge. Democratic state Sen. Cleo Fields, who served two terms in Congress in the 1990s, is seen as the front-runner in the district’s jungle primary in November.
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