Alabama Moves Toward New Congressional Map Amid Legal Uncertainty Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation on Friday that would enable new primary elections if the state’s Republican-led legislature successfully changes its congressional and state Senate maps ahead of the November midterms. The move comes as the state awaits a federal court ruling on whether Republicans can replace a court-ordered map that includes two majority-minority districts with a revised plan approved in 2023. The legislation grants Ivey the authority to schedule special primary elections for affected districts if redrawn maps are implemented, ensuring the state’s electoral process aligns with potential changes. The current congressional map, which was mandated by a federal court in 2023, designates two districts with significant Black populations. These districts, the 2nd and 7th Congressional Districts, are represented by Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures. The 2023 court order required Alabama to create one majority-Black seat in the 7th District and a “Black opportunity” seat in the 2nd District, where Black residents constitute a plurality. However, Alabama Republicans have sought to replace this map with a version that includes only one majority-Black district, arguing that the existing plan unfairly advantages Democrats. The push to alter the map is part of a broader trend among southern states leveraging a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Louisiana’s redistricting plan. The court’s decision in Allen v. Milligan limited the use of race in drawing district lines, prompting Republicans in Alabama and other states to challenge existing maps. In Louisiana, Republicans delayed their May 16 House primaries to redraw district lines after their map was struck down.#federal_court #shomari_figures #alabama_governor_kay_ivey #republican_legislature_alabama #terri_sewell
