The U.S. Supreme Court on May 11 let Alabama Republicans move ahead with efforts to change the state’s 7-district congressional map, sending the dispute back to federal court in Birmingham. [1, 2]
The action could replace a court-ordered map that created 2 majority-Black districts with a version that has only 1, a shift that Republicans say would better position them in future elections. [1, 2]
The dispute sits inside a larger fight over race-conscious redistricting and the Voting Rights Act. Just 2 weeks earlier, the court in a 6-3 ruling struck down Louisiana’s congressional map for relying too heavily on race, a decision that Alabama Republicans cited in pressing their case. [1]
Alabama’s congressional delegation is 5-2 Republican, and Black voters make up about a quarter of the electorate. The 2023 court-ordered map added a second Black-population-conscious district, but that seat flipped Democratic in 2024. [1, 2]
Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter called the result a “massive victory; not just for Alabama but for conservatives around the country,” and said, “Our elections should be decided by Alabamians at the ballot box — not by judges in courtrooms. I appreciate SCOTUS taking action on this issue and look forward to Alabama electing its congressional representation using a map drawn by those closest to the people.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said his “job… is done.” [2]
The next step is further proceedings in federal court in Birmingham, where the map fight will continue under the Supreme Court’s latest order. [2]
