President Pro Tempore Larry Walker Releases Statement on Special Session Redistricting

ATLANTA (June 17^th, 2026) - Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Larry Walker (R-Perry) released the following statement on redistricting during the 2026 Special Legislative Session:

"Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, there was no question that Georgia would need to draw new congressional maps. The question was not if, but when.

It was important for Governor Kemp to provide voters with immediate clarity by affirming Georgia's adherence to the Purcell principle. Because the 2026 election cycle is already underway, any federal court ruling affecting elections should apply to the next election cycle, not the current one.

In his call for this Special Legislative Session, the Governor asked the General Assembly to 'consider' redistricting for the 2028 election cycle, while also addressing several pressing issues, including delivering additional property tax relief, ratifying the suspension of the state gas tax and strengthening election integrity.

With that context in mind, it is important to recognize that the timing of the Callais decision places Georgia in a different position than states that were required to respond immediately to court orders.

We believe it is prudent to allow the judicial process to continue developing in other states and to carefully evaluate how courts rule on newly adopted district maps across the country. With this guidance, we are confident that Georgia's new districts will ultimately withstand legal scrutiny and that Georgia will prevail in defending its position in court.

For these reasons, the Senate sent a letter to Governor Kemp informing him that redistricting will not be taken up during this Special Legislative Session. Instead, we recommended continuing to monitor legal developments, gathering additional public input and taking the time necessary to fully evaluate all available options before considering changes to Georgia's maps.

Because any revisions to Georgia's congressional or legislative districts would not take effect until the 2028 election cycle, we believe it is both appropriate and responsible to approach this process deliberately rather than rush it. Our responsibility is to ensure that any action taken on redistricting is transparent, well-informed and coordinated with our colleagues in the House of Representatives.

As we have done in previous redistricting cycles, we remain committed to proceeding with the care, deliberation and thoughtful consideration that such an important responsibility demands."

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Sen. Larry Walker III serves as President Pro Tempore of the Senate. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen and Wilcox counties, as well as a portion of Houston County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at [email protected].

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