Alabama Court Rejects New Congressional Map
A three-judge panel has ruled against Alabama’s proposed congressional map that was designed to benefit Republicans. This decision, announced on Tuesday, puts a preliminary stop to a 2023 redistricting plan that would have likely added an additional Republican seat in the upcoming midterm elections. The judges found that the plan exhibited “intentional race-based discrimination.”
“Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” stated the court.
The rejected map was supposed to have one district with a Black majority but would have eliminated another that offered Black voters the chance to gain representation.
“The Legislature well knew that a plan without an additional Black-opportunity district would dilute Black Alabamians’ opportunity to participate in the political process, and it intentionally enacted that very plan,” the document noted.
This ruling is part of an ongoing redistricting saga for Alabama. The court highlighted that the legal disputes trace back to the 2023 congressional districting effort.
In a relevant development, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in April about racial gerrymandering in a case concerning Louisiana’s congressional map, deeming it unconstitutional because it lacked a second majority-Black district. Following this, SCOTUS vacated the existing injunction on the Alabama map, directing the lower court to reassess it based on this new ruling. Consequently, the court reinstated a preliminary injunction.
The judges decided that the “Special Master Plan,” which was used in former elections and included an extra Black opportunity district, should be the one used for the upcoming elections instead of the proposed 2023 map.
After Tuesday’s ruling, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall confirmed intentions to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
U.S. Representative Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) responded to the ruling, expressing cautious optimism.
“I am pleased with the Court’s decision, but this case is still not over. Although we expected the Court to reach this decision given the overwhelming evidence, we fully expect the State to immediately appeal the decision to the Supreme Court,” Figures said. “This is a significant step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go before this fight is settled.”
On the other hand, U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-Ala.) criticized the ruling, asserting that it undermined the electoral process.
“Another activist court ruling rewriting Alabama’s elections,” he wrote on X after the decision. “We the People will choose our representatives, not judicial activists.”
While some primary elections for Alabama’s congressional districts have already taken place, others are set for August as the contested redistricting situation continues. This Tuesday’s ruling could have implications for the general elections in November, particularly as both Republicans and Democrats aim to gain control of the House during the midterms, amid various states redrawing boundaries to favor one party over another.
