Republicans in Alabama, a southern US state, have filed a petition with the US Supreme Court seeking approval of a congressional map that a lower court previously deemed racially discriminatory. On May 13, the state's Republican leadership asked the high court to rule by May 19 to allow implementation for the 2026 midterm elections.
In 2023, the Supreme Court declined to overturn a lower court ruling that found the map violated the ban on racial discrimination under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The Act is one of the few constraints on partisan gerrymandering, including provisions that prohibit lawmakers from limiting representation based on race or minority status.
However, in April 2026, in the case Louisiana v. Callais, the US Supreme Court narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting lawsuits. Since then, states like Alabama have moved to re-implement maps previously rejected on racial grounds.
Alabama's redistricting push
In the Alabama case, a three-judge panel in 2023 found that the state's Republican leadership intentionally diluted the political power of Black voters, who tend to support Democrats. The panel ruled that Alabama needed two majority-Black districts: one encompassing Birmingham and another including the capital Montgomery.
But in a May 13 filing, Alabama Republicans argued that the panel's ruling was invalidated by the April decision. They pushed to restore the 2023 map, which concentrates most Black voters into a single district. Republican leaders emphasized that emergency action is necessary to prevent “irreparable harm” to their redistricting efforts. “Worse, voters will be forced to vote under a court-drawn racially gerrymandered map that fails to serve Alabama's legitimate redistricting objectives,” the filing stated.
If the rejected map is restored, Governor Kay Ivey announced that new primary elections would be held in four of the state's seven congressional districts to align with the new boundaries, scheduled for August 11. Statewide primaries already took place on May 19, but voters in Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 would need to vote again. Winners would proceed to the November general election.
However, the Republican-led effort faced a setback on May 11 when the lower court again rejected the 2023 map. “The court saw through Alabama's blatant attempt to revive a racially based congressional map that the legislature deliberately enacted to silence Black voters in Congress,” plaintiffs said on May 11 via the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
New maps nationwide
The battle over Alabama's congressional districts reflects a fierce contest for control of the US House in the November midterms. Republicans currently hold 217 of the 435 House seats, a razor-thin majority; the outcome of several races could shift the balance.
In 2025, Republican President Donald Trump launched a campaign to help his party gain an advantage. In June 2025, reports emerged that the White House contacted Texas state lawmakers to encourage a new congressional map aimed at reducing Democratic chances. Typically, redistricting occurs every decade to reflect population changes, but Texas's decision ignited a nationwide fight.
In August 2025, Texas adopted a new map that gives Republicans an additional five House seats. California, a Democratic stronghold, responded with a ballot initiative to redesign its districts to benefit left-leaning candidates. The measure passed in November 2025. Other states followed. Tennessee reshaped its map to break up a Democratic seat in Memphis, while Louisiana announced plans to redraw. However, some states, like South Carolina, declined, rejecting a redistricting proposal earlier this week.
President Trump views the midterm outcome as existential for his presidency. “You have to win the midterms because if you don't, they'll find a reason to impeach me,” he told Republican leaders in January.
