Federal court blocks Alabama’s midterm gerrymandering plan, a blow for Republicans

A federal court on Tuesday blocked Alabama Republicans from implementing their preferred House map ahead of this year’s midterms, potentially preventing Republicans from picking up an additional seat via gerrymandering.

Following the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling earlier this year, Alabama sought to revert to a 2023 map — with only one Democratic-leaning district — that had previously been blocked in court.

But a three-judge panel Tuesday prevented the state from using that map, mandating that Alabama use a map that has two majority Black, blue-leaning seats.

“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,” the panel wrote in their decision.

Republicans said they would immediately appeal the decision back to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court earlier this month allowed Alabama to proceed with redistricting, kicking the process back down to the lower court.

Alabama held some of its primary contests last week, but not all of them, after GOP Gov. Kay Ivey delayed a handful of House districts to account for a new map. Primaries for the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th congressional districts are set for Aug. 11.

Republicans were immediately bullish that the high court would allow the GOP-favorable map to go into effect, citing a previous Supreme Court decision that overturned a ruling from the same three-judge panel.

“Know this — in my mind, it is not a matter of whether we win this case, only when,” Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement.

Tuesday’s ruling comes after weeks of protest in the state over redistricting, with numerous prominent Democrats flocking to Montgomery to rally in support of voting rights.

In the lengthy ruling, the panel of judges ultimately were not swayed by Republicans’ argument for the 2023 map, especially under the tight timeline.

“There is no convincing evidence that it is necessary for us to allow Alabama to pivot to the 2023 Plan in the middle of an election, and substantial evidence that it is not,” they wrote.

المصدر: Politico