Alabama Attorney General Seeks to Lift Congressional Map Injunctions Following Supreme Court Decision
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has filed motions to lift federal injunctions that block the state’s controversial congressional map, challenging longstanding Voting Rights Act protections after the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent landmark ruling. The motions come immediately after the court’s decision in a Louisiana case that declared the drawing of a second majority-Black congressional district unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, sharply narrowing a core Voting Rights Act provision.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against Louisiana’s addition of a second majority-Black congressional district, undermining the basis for Alabama’s ongoing federal restrictions on redistricting. In response, Marshall filed motions in three major redistricting cases — Allen v. Singleton, Allen v. Milligan, and Allen v. Caster — all of which currently prevent Alabama from using the congressional map drawn by state lawmakers earlier this year.
Attorney General Marshall argues that lifting these injunctions will finally give Alabama equal treatment among states and allow the state to control its own map drawing without federal court interference. “The Supreme Court has now made clear that you cannot assume race and politics are the same thing, you have to actually show they’re separate,” Marshall said. “Because the lower court’s injunction cannot stand in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, we have asked the court to lift the injunction. Alabama deserves the right to use its own maps, just like every other state.”
Governor Kay Ivey Endorses Push to Reinstate Map
Following the motion filings, Governor Kay Ivey issued a statement emphasizing state sovereignty in redistricting. “Alabama knows our state, our people and our districts better than the federal courts or activists groups,” she said. “I remain hopeful that Alabama receives a favorable ruling.” The governor’s remarks highlight the fierce desire behind ongoing efforts to reject federally imposed maps.
Background: Federal Courts Block Alabama’s 2023 Congressional Map
In 2022, a three-judge federal panel found Alabama’s congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered the state to draw a second majority-Black district. While the U.S. Supreme Court initially agreed with the lower court’s ruling by a 5-4 vote, Alabama lawmakers then rejected the panel’s remedial map drawn for a second majority-Black district. Instead, the legislature created new boundaries that the federal panel rejected, stating Alabama failed to come close to creating a second district with a Black voting-age population majority.
In response, the federal panel selected a court-drawn map that adjusted Alabama’s District 2 to include a Black voting-age population of 48.7%. This map has been in effect pending ongoing legal battles.
What Happens Next?
Alabama’s new motions ask federal courts to lift their injunctions and restore the state’s map from 2023, which does not include a legally recognized second majority-Black district. The state argues the Supreme Court’s Callais decision demands a reassessment of racial gerrymandering claims nationwide, including Alabama’s case.
For Ohio and U.S. readers, this signals a major shift in the Voting Rights landscape with implications for congressional redistricting battles across several states. Courts may now be less inclined to enforce majority-minority districts based primarily on race, potentially reshaping political power and voter representation ahead of future elections.
The ongoing legal battle will unfold rapidly, making redistricting a hot issue nationally as Alabama pushes to reclaim its map-making authority in the wake of the Supreme Court’s evolving stance on race and voting.
