Federal Court Blocks Alabama Plan for New Congressional Districts That Could Help Republicans A federal court temporarily blocked Alabama’s plan to implement a new congressional map that could give Republicans an advantage in the upcoming midterm elections, according to a ruling issued by a three-judge panel in the state’s long-standing redistricting case. The preliminary injunction, issued on Tuesday, prevents the state from switching to the proposed map for the November midterms, requiring it to continue using the court-ordered districts under which congressional representatives were elected in 2024. The decision marks a significant setback for state Republicans, who had sought to reshape voting districts to reclaim a key House seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures. The ruling was sought by lawyers representing Black voters, who argued that the state’s previous map had been found discriminatory in 2023 and that attempting to alter district boundaries mid-election cycle would create unnecessary chaos. The judges agreed, emphasizing that Alabama’s efforts to redraw lines during an election year could undermine the integrity of the voting process. The state is now allowed to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, though the timeline for such an appeal remains unclear. The court’s intervention comes amid a broader legal and political battle over redistricting, fueled by a Supreme Court ruling in April 2025 that struck down a majority-Black district in Louisiana and weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. This decision has emboldened Republicans in several Southern states, including Alabama, to pursue changes to voting districts with significant minority populations, which have historically elected Democratic representatives.#federal_court #alabama #u_s_supreme_court #shomari_figures #jeff_landry
