Alabama Lawmakers Pass Plan for New US House Primary/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Republicans across Southern states are aggressively pursuing new congressional maps after a Supreme Court ruling weakened Voting Rights Act protections. Alabama approved plans for new primaries under GOP-drawn districts, while Virginia’s court struck down a Democratic-backed redistricting amendment. Civil rights advocates warn the redistricting push threatens Black voting power ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Redistricting Battle Quick Looks
- Alabama approves possible new congressional primaries
- Virginia court blocks Democratic redistricting amendment
- Supreme Court ruling fuels nationwide map fights
- Republicans seek House advantage before midterms
- Civil rights groups warn of minority vote dilution
- Southern states become center of redistricting war
Republicans Accelerate Redistricting Push Across Southern States
A growing national battle over congressional redistricting intensified Friday as Republicans moved aggressively to redraw political maps in several Southern states following a major Supreme Court decision that weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act.
The latest developments included Alabama lawmakers approving legislation that could trigger new congressional primary elections, while Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down a Democratic-backed redistricting effort that could have reshaped the balance of power in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The legal and political clashes are part of a broader fight between Republicans and Democrats as both parties seek advantages in tightly contested House races nationwide.
Alabama Approves Controversial New Primary Election Plan
Republican lawmakers in Alabama approved legislation allowing new congressional primaries if courts permit the state to use previously rejected GOP-drawn congressional districts.
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey quickly signed the measure into law.
The legislation would invalidate some May 19 primary election results and require a new primary election under revised district lines if federal courts lift an injunction currently blocking Alabama’s 2023 congressional map.
That injunction forced Alabama to adopt a court-selected map containing a second district where Black voters are either a majority or close to one, resulting in the election of Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures in 2024.
Republicans hope reinstating their original map would allow them to reclaim the district.
“With this special session successfully behind us, Alabama now stands ready to quickly act, should the courts issue favorable rulings in our ongoing redistricting cases,” Ivey said in a statement.
However, a three-judge federal panel later rejected Alabama’s request to immediately lift the injunction, though the issue remains before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Demonstrators Compare Fight To Civil Rights Era
The Alabama Statehouse became the scene of heated protests as demonstrators accused Republicans of undermining Black voting rights.
One protester was forcibly removed from the House gallery during tense proceedings.
Outside the Capitol, demonstrators shouted “fight for democracy” and “down with white supremacy.”
“I was out there in 1965 marching for the right to vote, and now we are back here in 2026 doing the same thing,” civil rights activist Betty White Boynton said.
Black Democratic lawmakers also condemned the legislation in emotional terms.
“What happened here today is that we were set back as a people to the days of Reconstruction,” Democratic state Sen. Rodger Smitherman said after the vote.
Senate Democrats repeatedly shouted “hell no” and “stop the steal” during the debate.
Virginia Supreme Court Blocks Democratic Redistricting Effort
Meanwhile, the Virginia Supreme Court dealt a major setback to Democrats by invalidating a constitutional amendment designed to redraw congressional districts in ways that could have helped Democrats gain up to four House seats.
The court ruled that Democratic lawmakers failed to properly follow constitutional procedures when placing the amendment on the ballot.
Virginia’s constitution requires amendments to be approved during two separate legislative sessions with a general election occurring in between.
The court determined lawmakers acted too late during the first session because early voting for the general election had already begun when the amendment initially passed.
More than 1.3 million ballots had already been cast at the time, according to the ruling.
The decision represents a major victory for Republicans amid a nationwide fight over congressional maps.
Louisiana And South Carolina Enter The Redistricting Fight
Other Southern states are also pursuing new congressional maps following the Supreme Court ruling.
In Louisiana, Republican lawmakers introduced several proposed maps that would reduce the number of Black-majority congressional districts.
Democratic lawmakers and civil rights activists fiercely opposed the plans.
“You have a choice in front of you: You can draw a map that reflects what Louisiana actually is — a state where Black voices belong in the halls of Congress,” civil rights activist Leona Tate told lawmakers. “Or you can draw a map that tells my grandchildren that their votes don’t count.”
Republican state Sen. John “Jay” Morris defended the proposals, saying: “I don’t think we should care that much about race.”
In South Carolina, lawmakers considered a congressional map that could potentially help Republicans sweep all seven U.S. House seats in the state.
However, some Republicans expressed concern that redistributing Democratic voters could make neighboring GOP districts less secure.
During a hearing, Democratic state Rep. Justin Bamberg criticized the effort by saying: “I agree if the law allows us to do it, then we can do it. But I can slap somebody’s mama and it’s not the right thing to do.”
Supreme Court Decision Reshapes National Redistricting Battle
The renewed push for aggressive redistricting follows a recent Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case that made it more difficult to challenge congressional maps under the Voting Rights Act.
The ruling has emboldened Republicans across multiple states to revisit congressional maps in hopes of strengthening their House majority.
Since Donald Trump encouraged Texas Republicans last year to redraw congressional districts, GOP strategists believe new maps could net Republicans as many as 14 additional House seats nationwide.
Democrats estimate they could gain up to six seats through their own redistricting efforts in states where they control the process.
Still, political analysts caution that aggressive gerrymandering can sometimes backfire by creating highly competitive districts vulnerable to electoral swings.
National Midterm Stakes Continue To Rise
With control of Congress likely to hinge on only a handful of districts in the 2026 elections, redistricting battles are becoming increasingly central to national politics.
Civil rights organizations argue that the new maps could weaken minority voting strength and reverse decades of progress under the Voting Rights Act.
Republicans counter that the changes are legal and necessary to reflect political realities and protect their congressional majority.
The growing legal fights in Alabama, Virginia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee suggest that redistricting disputes will remain one of the defining political battles heading into the 2026 midterms.
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