Alabama Republicans demand Supreme Court scrap a court-imposed “rigged” congressional map, igniting a high-stakes battle over fair elections before 2026 midterms.
Story Highlights
- Alabama’s GOP leaders approved a return to the 2023 map with one majority-Black district, defying a federal injunction until 2030.
- Three-judge federal panel denies stay, punts decision to SCOTUS, where Justice Thomas ordered responses by May 11.
- Recent SCOTUS Louisiana ruling narrows Voting Rights Act, empowering states to resist race-based redistricting.
- Potential flip of Democrat-held AL-2 strengthens GOP House control if approved, disrupting ongoing primaries.
Federal Panel Defers to Supreme Court
Alabama’s Republican-led legislature and Governor Kay Ivey approved a congressional map reverting to 2023 lines, which feature one majority-Black district despite Black voters comprising 26% of the voting-age population. This map seeks to replace the 2023 court-imposed remedial plan creating a second Black-opportunity district. A three-judge federal panel, including two Trump appointees, denied Alabama’s stay request on May 8, 2026. The panel ruled it lacks authority to alter the injunction blocking changes until 2030 while the case pends before the Supreme Court.
Leveraging Recent SCOTUS Precedent
Attorney General Steve Marshall petitioned SCOTUS for emergency relief following the Court’s April 29, 2026, Louisiana ruling. That decision struck down a racially gerrymandered district, limiting Voting Rights Act Section 2 claims absent proof of intentional discrimination. Alabama argues this precedent justifies restoring its “partisan-neutral” 2023 map, originally rejected after the 2023 Allen v. Milligan ruling. Justice Clarence Thomas, as circuit justice, ordered Milligan plaintiffs’ response by May 11, 5 p.m. EDT. Alabama seeks a decision by May 14 to align 2026 elections.
The original 2021 map drew Voting Rights Act challenges for diluting Black voting power by packing 26% of Black voters into one district, or 14% representation. SCOTUS in 2023 upheld the need for a second opportunity district but remanded remedies. Federal courts then imposed the current map, enabling Democrat Shomari Figures’ 2024 win in AL-2.
Stakes for 2026 Midterms and Beyond
SCOTUS approval would trigger special elections in AL-1, AL-2, AL-6, and AL-7, plus state senate races. Figures’ seat stands vulnerable to a Republican flip, bolstering the current 6-1 GOP delegation from Alabama. Governor Ivey holds authority to call these elections. Secretary of State Wes Allen’s stay bid failed, binding 2026 primaries to the court map absent SCOTUS action. Marshall, eyeing a U.S. Senate run, frames the 2023 map as reflecting Alabama’s Republican tilt.
NEW: Alabama Asks Supreme Court to Let It Throw Out Current Rigged Congressional Map https://t.co/JsCzQTHNEY #gatewaypundit via @gatewaypundit
— James Campbell (@JamesCa14047260) May 9, 2026
Broader implications extend nationally. A win weakens VRA enforcement, allowing GOP-led states like Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia to redraw maps freely. Analysts predict shifts of 5-10 House seats favoring Republicans. Black voters face diluted influence, dropping representation from two to one districts. This tests conservative SCOTUS skepticism toward race-based districts, echoing South Carolina’s 2024 map upheld against similar claims. Both sides decry elite judicial overreach eroding state sovereignty and voter will.
Sources:
Federal court tells Alabama redistricting fight now belongs to Supreme Court (Alabama Reporter)
