Atlanta, Georgia - Republican lawmakers in Georgia recently backed down from their efforts to redraw the state's Congressional maps to give their party an advantage in the 2028 elections.
During a press conference on Wednesday, House Speaker Jon Burns said the party came to the conclusion that the move was "not the right path forward for our state at this time," as they believe it could not be carried out "responsibly, transparently, and with ample opportunity for public input."
Some lawmakers suggested revisiting the effort in the future, which would require Republicans to maintain their control of the state House and Senate.
In a statement, Senate Democrats applauded the decision and urged Georgians to "Vote Republicans out in November, and stop these racist, rigged maps for good."
In recent months, several states have attempted to redraw congressional maps to benefit a certain party after Texas became the first to do so last year, resulting in a boost for Republicans.
In April, the Supreme Court ruled to limit the use of race in drawing electoral districts, permitting states to try to eliminate districts with large minority populations.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp then asked the Republican-led Legislature to follow suit, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that some Republicans expressed fears that the effort could backfire and lead Democrats to mobilize ahead of the November midterms.
Businessman Rick Jackson recently won the state's GOP primary and will face former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the general election.