Cleo Fields won't seek reelection after Louisiana redraws his district

Fields to run for state Senate seat

Fields, a longtime fixture in Louisiana politics, announced his decision Tuesday.

“After a great deal of prayer and reflection, I have decided not to seek reelection, to Congress, in the 6th District or any other district in Louisiana,” Fields said.

The state legislature redrew Fields’ district in May to advantage Republicans in November’s midterm elections. The majority-Black congressional district had been at the center of a major Supreme Court case on race and redistricting. A month before the legislature acted, the Supreme Court ruled that the district relied too heavily on race and was an “unconstitutional gerrymander.”

Fields said he would instead seek a seat in the state Senate.

The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the map escalated a nationwide redistricting battle, largely fueled by President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect Republicans in the midterm elections, according to the Associated Press.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama could use a map that favored Republicans in this year’s elections.