Gov. Kay Ivey signs bills to change Congressional districts if U.S. Supreme Court approves

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA ) – The Alabama Legislature has passed bills which Gov. Kay Ivey has signed to change Alabama’s Congressional district lines, if the U.S. Supreme Court gives the state approval to do so this election year.

“With this special session successfully behind us, Alabama now stands ready to quickly act, should the courts issue favorable rulings in our ongoing redistricting cases,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “I thank the Legislature for answering my call to address the issue in fast order. I am grateful to Speaker Ledbetter and Pro Tem Gudger for their strong leadership and focus this week. Alabama knows our state, our people and our districts best.”

Lawmakers went into special session this week in an attempt to change Congressional 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.

With the redistricting, Alabama Republicans hope to regain the 2nd Congressional District seat. Because the split in the U.S. House of Representatives is so close between Republicans and Democrats, every seat matters in who will have control following elections this year across the country. Members of both political parties are attempting to get as many seats as possible through redistricting this year to give themselves an advantage in the November general election.

Even though the governor has signed the bills to change the Congressional district lines back to what the Legislature had passed previously, the courts have barred the state from making changes before the 2030 Census. Republicans have appealed that ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court in the hopes of getting approval to make changes this election year.

If the court-ordered injunctions are lifted, Alabama will revert to the maps drawn by the Legislature for congressional districts in 2023 and state senate districts in 2021.

The May 19 primary will still be held as planned. If the injunctions are lifted, Gov. Kay Ivey may call a special election for Congressional Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7, which are the ones affected by the change in district lines.

The special election would also affect State Senate Districts 25 and 26 in Montgomery County, which also had their lines changed by the courts. The seats are currently held by Democratic State Sen. Kirk Hatcher and Republican State Sen. Will Barfoot.

Tensions at the Alabama State House have been high all week. Demonstrators outside the Alabama State House today shouted “fight for democracy” and “down with white supremacy.”

“I was out there in 1965 marching for the right to vote, and now we are back here in 2026 doing the same thing,” Betty White Boynton said.

This morning, inside the House gallery, a group of protestors was singing and chanting. At one point, officers took one woman away, which resulted in the House going into a sudden recess.

During debate, Black lawmakers sharply criticized Republican legislation that would direct the governor to schedule a new primary under revised districts, if the U.S. Supreme Court allows it.

Republican Sen. Greg Albritton said the special primary would happen only if the courts agree to lift an injunction that put a court-selected map in place until after the 2030 Census.

“Should there be no court order issued, then this bill would have no effect,” Albritton said.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, a Black Democrat, said Republicans are aiming to strip representation from Black voters in an effort to get another Republican to Congress.

“We have just only been voting since 1965, and you are now trying to take that voice away from us,” Singleton said.

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