North Alabama Federal Panel Blocks Alabama Redistricting
A three-judge federal panel in the Northern District of Alabama has, at least temporarily, blocked the State of Alabama from redrawing congressional districts and effectively eliminating one majority-minority district.
The ruling means Alabama would be required to conduct the June 16th party primary runoffs using the current federal court drawn map that maintains the 2nd Congressional District in south Alabama as a majority-minority district. It is currently represented by Democrat Congressman Shomari Figures.
In this morning's ruling the court wrote, "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.
"And under the unusual circumstances of this case, we conclude that a limited order requiring the (Alabama) Secretary (of State Wes Allen) to continue using this Court's race-blind map will not distrupt Alabama's elections," it continued.
During a court hearing last Friday, the judges had questioned if Alabama's hurridly scheduled August 11th special election for four of the state's congressional districts, including West Alabama's 7th Distric,t represented by Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell can even be conducted without massice voter confusion.
Both the state and plantiff's in the redistricting case had vowed to appeal any ruling against their side. That means the state will make an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court which last week had returned the case to the Birmingham based court.
Alabama Republicans jumped at the opportunity to redistrict after the high court ruled in a Louisiana redistricting case that race should not be the deciding factor in drawing district maps.
The Congressional Black Causes and other voting rights activists immediately labeled Alabama's plan to return to a map drawn in 2023 as "racist" and a return to denying minority voting rights.
Republicans countered by claiming their plan is "political, not racist". President Trump had demanded GOP controlled states to redistrict in an attempt to retain control of congress in the November General elections.
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