Alabama pushes US Supreme Court to approve congressional map for midterms

A push by President Donald Trump and other conservatives to redraw congressional maps to benefit Republicans has faced setbacks in Southern states. In Alabama, a three-judge federal panel blocked a new map, citing intentional race-based discrimination that would have eliminated a district with a significant Black population. Alabama Republicans plan to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to reject a proposed map that would have altered a district held by a long-serving Black Democratic Congressman. This rejection occurred as early voting for the primary was already underway. These developments highlight the contentious nature of redistricting in the US, a process historically used to disenfranchise Black voters.

A federal court has temporarily blocked Alabama's plan to implement a new congressional map that could favor Republicans in upcoming midterm elections. A three-judge panel issued a preliminary injunction, requiring the state to use the same court-ordered districts from the 2024 elections. Lawyers for Black voters argued the new map was intentionally discriminatory against Black voters, a claim previously supported by the same panel in 2023. The ruling is a setback for state Republicans aiming to regain a seat currently held by a Democratic representative. Alabama's Attorney General stated the state will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

South Carolina Republican lawmakers in the state senate have rejected a proposal to redraw congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections. The bid, which aimed to reduce Democratic voters in Congressman Jim Clyburn's district and potentially benefit Republicans, failed in a 26-18 vote during a special legislative session. This decision defies pressure from Donald Trump, who had lobbied for the redistricting plan. The proposal would have canceled the ongoing congressional election and rescheduled it with new district lines. Some Republican senators cited the late timing and the ongoing early voting as reasons for their opposition, while others criticized the rushed process and lack of public input.

Alabama Republicans are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to approve a congressional map previously rejected for racial discrimination. In 2023, a lower court found the map violated the Voting Rights Act by diminishing Black voters' political strength. Following a recent Supreme Court decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act's application in redistricting, Alabama Republicans are pushing to reinstate the rejected map, which would consolidate most Black voters into a single district. A lower court, however, again rejected this map, calling it a "blatant attempt to reinstate a race-based congressional map." The state wants the Supreme Court to rule by Monday to use this map for the 2026 midterm elections, potentially requiring new primaries.

Alabama has asked the Supreme Court to allow the use of a Republican-favoring congressional map for upcoming elections, despite a lower court's finding of intentional racial discrimination against Black voters. A three-judge panel had previously rejected the state-drawn map, which features only one majority-Black district, and mandated the use of a court-ordered map with two districts where Black residents are a majority or near-majority. Alabama's Attorney General argues the state did not intentionally discriminate and should use its lawmakers' chosen map. This appeal follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act, prompting similar redistricting efforts in other Southern states. The lower court reaffirmed its finding of intentional discrimination, independent of the Supreme Court's ruling, and ordered that special primaries proceed under the previously approved map.

A panel of three federal judges has blocked Alabama from using a new Republican-friendly congressional map for this year's midterm elections. The judges ruled that the map, passed by lawmakers in 2023, was intentionally drawn to discriminate against Black voters. This decision prevents Alabama from using the map, which had been blocked previously by the same court for discriminatory intent. The state had attempted to use this map after a Supreme Court ruling weakened the Voting Rights Act. The judges stated that the Supreme Court's decision did not permit Alabama to use a map tainted by intentional race-based discrimination. The state is expected to appeal the ruling.