Did Rep. Garret Graves get redistricted right out of Congress due to a grudge held by Louisiana’s new governor?
Graves believes so, after saying as much on The Clay Young Show. He said he believes his choice to endorse his friend Steven Waguespack for governor over eventual winner Jeff Landry put him on the governor’s bad side and let to him getting gerrymandered out of his seat.
“The governor took it personally and is simply trying to carry out some degree of vindictiveness and look I’m fine with that,” Graves said. “If that’s how he wants to play games then that’s fine but don’t hurt Louisiana in the process.
If you have it out for me, that’s fine. But don’t harm Louisiana.”
Gov. Landry’s office called Graves’s accusation “unfounded” and the potential loss of his congressional seat “unfortunate politics.”
Now another local lawmaker who says he went through a similar incidence of being regulated out of his congressional seat has spoken out on the subject.
“I understand what Garret Graves is going through today because I went through it 27 years ago,” said Sen. Cleo Fields told the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday.
The state’s congressional districts were redrawn, adding a second Black-majority district which will result in the loss of Graves’s seat. That map has not taken effect though as it works its way through the judicial system thanks to a lawsuit claiming the new map violates the constitution by making race the reason for the redistricting.
“Well, I can tell you from personal experience, I was there, race was not the predominant factor,” Fields said, adding that there was definitely political collateral involved in deciding which state representative would be the odd person out.
While all four are Republicans, two of them – House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise – have considerably more clout in D.C. than Graves. The other option – Rep. Julia Ludlow – is the only female representative in the Louisiana delegation.
A multi-judge panel is set to rule on the newly-redrawn district map in Shreveport next month.