Alabama Backs Supreme Court Appeal to Revive 2023 House Map Before Aug. 11 Primary
Updated
Updated · WAAY · May 27
Alabama Backs Supreme Court Appeal to Revive 2023 House Map Before Aug. 11 Primary
17 articles · Updated · WAAY · May 27
Kay Ivey said Alabama will press the U.S. Supreme Court to let the state use its blocked 2023 congressional map for the Aug. 11 special primary.
Federal judges had temporarily barred that map after ruling it intentionally discriminated on the basis of race, leaving in place a court-ordered remedial map instead.
Steve Marshall has already filed the appeal, arguing the state should control its own redistricting, a position Ivey echoed in saying Alabama knows its districts best.
The dispute could shape the 2026 election landscape because the 2023 map had only 1 Black-majority district, unlike the remedial plan now governing the race.
After a historic election, could a new map undo recent gains in minority congressional representation?
Alabama’s Congressional Map Blocked for 2026: Court Cites Intentional Racial Discrimination, Supreme Court Test Looms After Callais Ruling
Overview
On May 26, 2026, a unanimous three-judge federal panel blocked Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map for the November elections, marking a major setback for Republicans who hoped to regain a Democratic-held seat. The court reviewed the case using the Supreme Court’s new Voting Rights Act standard and found that Alabama’s map intentionally discriminated against Black voters, violating the 14th Amendment. This decision forces Alabama to draw a new map and highlights the ongoing legal battle over fair representation, with the state now appealing to the Supreme Court for a final decision.