Alabama Seeks Supreme Court Approval for Revised Congressional Map Ahead of 2026 Election
Alabama officials have submitted three petitions to the Supreme Court seeking approval to implement a revised congressional map for the 2026 election. The petitions, filed by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, aim to have the 2023 congressional map take effect and lift an injunction that deemed the map violated the Voting Rights Act. The state's original map had one black-majority district, resulting in a 6-1 Republican-Democrat split, but a federal court mandated the creation of a second black-majority district, changing the split to 5-2.
The filings argue that the lower courts were wrong in requiring Alabama to draw a second black-majority district, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that struck down a similar court-ordered district. The petitions emphasize the need for elections based on lawful policy goals rather than race, urging the Supreme Court to rule on the matter before the state's primary elections on May 19.
Alabama officials are pushing for the use of the 2023 congressional map, which they claim was created based on lawful policy goals. Attorney General Marshall expressed his commitment to fighting for the state's right to implement the map approved by elected representatives. The state passed legislation to delay congressional primaries if the 2023 map is approved instead of the current court-ordered map.
Alabama's request to the Supreme Court aligns with efforts in other GOP-led states, such as Louisiana, Florida, and Tennessee, to redraw congressional maps following the recent Supreme Court ruling on racial gerrymandering. The decision is expected to benefit Republicans in the upcoming elections, where control of the House of Representatives will be fiercely contested.
In contrast, Democrats faced a setback in Virginia when the state Supreme Court ruled that Democrats illegally rushed a redistricting referendum. The referendum, which aimed to redraw districts to favor Democrats, was voided by the court. Virginia Democrats plan to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the outcome is uncertain due to the federal nature of the case review process.