ONLY ON 8: Political Analyst Steve Flowers talks about what’s next following court decision on Alabama’s Congressional districts
ONLY ON 8 (WAKA) – Action 8 News Political Analyst Steve Flowers shares his insight on what’s to come following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow Alabama to use the Congressional district map passed by the Alabama Legislature for this year’s elections.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled to allow Alabama to use a map that favors Republicans, blocking a lower court ruling that the map discriminates against Black voters. The map changes the district lines in U.S. House districts 1, 2, 6 and 7, which cover virtually all of the Action 8 viewing area outside of Tallapoosa and Lee counties.
Until now, there has been much uncertainty over which map would be used, leaving some voters confused about which district they would vote in. The map used in the 2024 elections had been drawn up by the federal courts, which had rejected the legislature’s map, saying it didn’t give Black voters enough of an opportunity to have their voices heard.
Flowers says the uncertainty has now ended with the court’s decision. He says it’s clear that the U.S. Supreme Court is dismantling the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which had been used as a basis of forming districts favorable to the election of Black candidates, which had favored the Democratic Party.
Secretary of State Wes Allen’s name is at the top of the court documents because he is the head of state elections. He is also a candidate for lieutenant governor and is in a Republican runoff against John Wahl on June 16. Flowers says he doesn’t believe that Allen would see a big boost from this decision, though it doesn’t hurt to have his name attached to a ruling that favors Republicans.
Flowers says President Trump’s legacy will be in the appointments he has made to the U.S. Supreme Court, which are bringing monumental change to politics in the South.
He says the change in maps means that Alabama will likely return to a split of six Republicans in the U.S. House and one Democrat. Currently, the split is 5-2 in favor of Republicans.
He says U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, a Black Democrat elected in 2024 to represent the 2nd Congressional District under the previous map drawn up by federal courts, faces an uphill battle in trying to win a second term. However, Flowers says it’s not certain that he can’t win because even with the legislature’s map, District 2 is the least Republican of the state’s six Republican districts, and Montgomery County, which is a heavy Democratic Party stronghold, is the major county in the district.
Watch the video above to hear more from Steve Flowers as he speaks with Action 8’s Glenn Halbrooks.
