Alabama takes step toward a new congressional map while awaiting court action

2026 ElectionAlabama takes step toward a new congressional map while awaiting court actionRepublican lawmakers passed a bill that would set up special primary elections if they are allowed to implement new maps after the U.S. Supreme Court’s redistricting ruling.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Demonstrators protests against Alabama Republicans' redistricting plan.Mickey Welsh / The Montgomery Advertiser / USA TODAY NetworkShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 8, 2026, 3:50 PM EDTBy Jane C. TimmAlabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation Friday that would set up new primary elections if the courts allow Republicans in the state to change their congressional and state Senate maps ahead of the November midterms.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Alabama’s primaries are set to take place under its current maps on May 19. But the legislation the Republican-controlled Legislature approved Friday gives Ivey the ability to schedule separate special primary elections for affected districts if redrawn maps are put into place. Following a seismic U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Louisiana’s map that limited the use of race in redistricting, Alabama Republicans asked a federal court to allow them to replace their current court-ordered congressional map, which contains two majority-minority districts represented by Democrats, with a map state Republican lawmakers approved in 2023 that has one. In 2023, A federal court ordered Alabama to adopt a map with one majority-Black seat in the 7th Congressional District and one Black “opportunity” seat in the 2nd Congressional District, where Black residents represent a plurality. Friday’s move in Alabama is the latest in a frenzied push by southern states to use the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling to enact more favorable maps for Republicans ahead of this fall’s elections, where control of the House is up for grabs. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday signed a n...