Alabama asks Supreme Court to allow use of congressional map helping
GOP, despite racial bias ruling
[May 28, 2026]
By MARK SHERMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alabama on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to allow
it to use a congressional map favoring Republicans in this year's
elections, despite a lower court's ruling that the redistricting plan
intentionally discriminates against Black people.
The state's Republican leadership filed an emergency appeal with the
justices a day after a three-judge court refused to let the state use a
map it adopted three years ago that has a majority Black population in
just one of its seven congressional districts.
The judges instead required Alabama to continue using a court-ordered
map that was put in place for the 2024 elections that includes two
districts where Black residents comprise a majority or close to it.
Attorney General Steve Marshall told the court that the state did not
intentionally discriminate against Black residents and should be allowed
to hold elections this year under a map chosen by lawmakers, not judges.
The appeal is the latest development in the fallout from last month's
Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Black-majority district in
Louisiana and weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. That ruling has
led Republicans in several Southern states, including Alabama, to take
steps to reshape voting districts with large minority populations that
have elected Democrats.
The redistricting frenzy is part of a broader push by President Donald
Trump to try to hold on to Republicans’ slim House majority in the
November elections.
Trump's Justice Department backed Alabama's appeal, noting that Alabama
is “highly likely to succeed” in its bid to implement a map the
administration says would favor Republicans 6-1 in place of a
court-ordered “racial gerrymander.”
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The Alabama case stretches back several years. The three-judge panel
in 2023 ruled that a map drawn by Republican state lawmakers
intentionally diluted the voting power of Black citizens. The court
said the state, which is about 27% Black, should have two districts
where Black voters are the majority or close to it. The
court-selected map was used in 2024.
After the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the Louisiana case,
Alabama officials moved to implement the 2023 state-drawn map. The
Supreme Court’s conservative majority agreed to lift the injunction
that had blocked the map’s use and sent the case back to the
three-judge panel for reconsideration in light of the Louisiana
ruling.
In the meantime, voters cast ballots in Alabama’s May 19 primaries,
and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey set new special primaries for Aug. 11
in four congressional districts affected by the map switch.
Upon further review, the judicial panel said it was standing behind
its initial finding that there was “undisputed evidence” of
intentional racial discrimination, a holding that was independent of
and unaffected by the Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act.
It said the special congressional primaries should instead proceed
under the previous court-approved districts.
The use of the court-ordered map led to the 2024 election of U.S.
Rep. Shomari Figures, a Black Democrat. State Republicans are
seeking to use a map that would give the GOP an opportunity to
reclaim the south Alabama seat.
The state is asking for Supreme Court action by Monday as it makes
preparations for the special vote in August.
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