Alabama Republicans on Friday signed into law a measure that would direct the governor to schedule fresh primary elections for certain congressional districts—but only if the courts reverse a previous injunction that keeps the current map in place through the 2030 Census. The legislation is a direct response to the ongoing legal battle over the state's redistricting plan.
The bill has no immediate effect unless the judiciary overturns a ruling that required Alabama to create a second district where Black voters approach a majority. That decision paved the way for Democrat Shomari Figures to win a House seat in 2024, flipping a district that had been safely Republican.
Under the new law, if the courts side with the GOP, the governor could bypass the May 19 primary date for targeted districts and call a special election instead. Republicans are betting that a favorable ruling would allow them to implement a 2023 map that a federal court previously struck down as discriminatory.
The push gained momentum after the Supreme Court last week struck down Louisiana's congressional map as an illegal racial gerrymander. That decision weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act used to create majority-minority districts, and Alabama Republicans are now asking the high court to issue an emergency order allowing the 2023 map to take effect.
State Democrats and Black lawmakers have fiercely opposed the effort. Protesters gathered outside the Alabama Statehouse on Friday, chanting “fight for democracy” and “down with white supremacy,” according to the Associated Press. The scene underscored the deep racial and political divisions over the redistricting battle.
The GOP-friendly map would give Republicans a chance to target Figures’ seat and create another pickup opportunity in November, aligning with President Trump’s push for red states to pursue mid-decade redistricting. Alabama is racing the Supreme Court to revise its voting map for GOP advantage, hoping to capitalize on the shifting legal landscape.
Other states are following suit. Tennessee Republicans approved a new map on Thursday that carves up the state’s only majority-Black district, threatening to unseat its lone Democratic House member. Alabama and Tennessee GOP governors have called special sessions for redistricting after the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling, signaling a broader Southern strategy to redraw lines before the 2026 midterms.
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Louisiana case has emboldened Republicans nationwide, but it also raises questions about the future of minority representation. Civil rights groups warn that the ruling could open the door to more aggressive gerrymandering, while GOP leaders argue it restores fairness by preventing race-based districting.
For now, Alabama’s legislation remains a contingency plan. The state’s request for an emergency Supreme Court order could determine whether the 2023 map ever sees the light of day—and whether Figures will have to defend his seat under dramatically different lines.
