Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts

Federal judges have temporarily blocked Alabama’s plan to use a new congressional map that could give Republicans an advantage in a key U.S. House race in this year’s elections.

A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued the preliminary injunction that prevents the state, at least for now, from switching maps. It requires Alabama to continue using the same court-ordered districts under which congressional representatives were elected in 2024.

This is the Congressional district map the federal judicial panel has blocked. Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 have had their lines altered from the court-drawn map used in 2024 – Photo from Alabama Governor’s Office

Lawyers representing Black voters in the state’s lengthy redistricting case had sought the preliminary injunction, arguing the same panel in 2023 found the state map was intentionally discriminatory against Black voters. They also argued Alabama was creating chaos by trying to change lines in the middle of an election year.

The ruling is a defeat for Republicans who want to use a map for the November midterms that will give the GOP a chance to reclaim the seat now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-2nd District). He is from Mobile, but represents Montgomery County and a large part of our area.

However, the state is appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“This is a very fluid situation, and I will do my best to keep the people of Alabama apprised of our efforts,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said as he announced the appeal.

The U.S. Supreme Court isn’t required to hear the state’s appeal or issue a ruling on it.

The state is planning on holding special primaries in districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 based on the map that the judges blocked. The date for those primaries is August 11.

The court order is the latest development in the twisting legal and political saga following a U.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 Trump to try to hold on to Republicans’ slim House majority in the November elections.

Other states also have considered adjustments to their primary elections to allow time for congressional redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision affecting the Voting Rights Act. Louisiana’s congressional primaries, scheduled for May 16, were postponed until later this summer  so that state lawmakers could consider a new U.S. House map that would eliminate a majority-Black district.

In South Carolina, the Republican-led legislature considered a plan that would throw out the votes from its June 9 congressional primary and instead hold a new primary in August under revised districts that could improve Republicans’ chances of winning an additional seat.

This is the Congressional district map the federal judicial panel says must be used for the 2026 elections – Photo from Alabama Secretary of State’s Office

Tennessee also moved quickly to enact new U.S. House districts after the Supreme Court’s ruling by carving up a Black-majority district based in Memphis that had elected the state’s only Democratic representative. The new map gives Republicans a chance to sweep all nine of the state’s seats. As part of the plan, Tennessee temporarily reopened the candidate qualifying period for its August congressional primaries, allowing new candidates to enter the race and existing ones to either switch districts or drop out.

Since Trump first urged Texas to redraw its U.S. House districts last summer, about a half-dozen Republican-led states have enacted new voting districts, though some still face legal challenges. Democrats countered with new districts in California and also expect to gain a seat from new court-imposed districts in Utah.

(Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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