U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell denounces efforts to change Alabama’s Congressional districts
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Alabama) held a news conference and rally outside the Alabama State House today to denounce efforts by the Republican-led Legislature to redraw Alabama’s Congressional districts.
Sewell was joined by state legislators, activists and voting rights organizations to demand fair representation for Black voters in Alabama.
Alabama is one of several states that could change its districts before the November general election. This is happening because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week involving Louisiana. The court struck down a Black-majority Congressional district in that state on the grounds that race was too large of a factor in how it had been drawn up.
Three years ago, the federal courts rejected Alabama’s Congressional district map that had been drawn up by the legislature following the 2020 Census. Instead, the courts created its own map in order to give Black Alabama voters a greater chance of electing a second Black U.S. Representative. In 2024, Black Democrat Shomari Figures of Mobile was elected to represent Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, joining Sewell as the state’s two Black members of its Congressional delegation.
Now, Republicans in the Alabama Legislature are hoping to return to the original map that they had passed. If that happens, Figures would be vulnerable in his re-election bid. However, when the courts drew up the new map that led to Figures’ election, it barred the Alabama Legislature from making any changes before the 2030 Census. State Republican leaders are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow them to take action now and not wait until then.
Sewell told those at the rally that action is needed to stop these efforts.
“We stand firmly to represent Alabama and we represent the voices of the minority,” Sewell said at the rally. “And guess what. He’s who in the minority today may be in the majority tomorrow. And Alabama needs to have some representation in Congress so we can speak to both parties. We have to stop the steal.”
Last week, Sewell said that Alabama Republicans are trying to eliminate representation for Black voters, who represent nearly one-third of the state’s electorate. She said it runs counter to everything that civil rights leader John Lewis and others marched, fought and bled for.
Sewell has represented Alabama’s 7th Congressional District since first winning the office in 2010.
