Judges block GOP-backed Ala. map for 2026 midterms
OAN Staff Addie Davis
3:36 PM – Tuesday, May 26, 2026
A three-judge court issued a ruling against Alabama’s proposed congressional map that would favor Republicans.
The Tuesday preliminary injunction prevents the use of a 2023 redistricting plan that would reportedly give Republicans an extra seat ahead of the midterms. According to the court document, the judges ruled that the map included “intentional race-based discrimination.”
“Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” the court stated.
The new map would reportedly feature one Black-majority district and eliminate a Black-opportunity district.
“The Legislature well knew that a plan without an additional Black-opportunity district would dilute Black Alabamians’ opportunity to participate in the political process, and it intentionally enacted that very plan,” the document states.
The Tuesday ruling was the next chapter in a years-long redistricting effort for the state. The court noted the legal battles stemmed from the 2023 congressional districting plan.
In a significant update to the case, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), in April, issued a ruling regarding racial gerrymandering under Louisiana’s congressional map — finding that the map specifically including a second majority-Black district was unconstitutional.
SCOTUS then vacated the permanent injunction on the Alabama map and told the lower court to reconsider in light of the ruling. The court again issued a preliminary injunction.
The judges ruled that the “Special Master Plan” map used in previous elections should be used for the upcoming elections, which reportedly features an additional Black opportunity district, instead of the proposed 2023 map.
Following Tuesday’s ruling, Alabama’s Attorney General, Steve Marshall, assured that the case would be appealed to the Supreme Court.
U.S. Representative Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) issued a statement regarding the decision.
“I am pleased with the Court’s decision, but this case is still not over. Although we expected the Court to reach this decision given the overwhelming evidence, we fully expect the State to immediately appeal the decision to the Supreme Court,” Figures said.
“This is a significant step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go before this fight is settled,” he continued.
U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-Ala.), however, criticized the ruling, saying the people should choose who represent them.
“Another activist court ruling rewriting Alabama’s elections,” he wrote on X following the decision. “We the People will choose our representatives, not judicial activists.”
Primary elections for some of Alabama’s congressional districts have already been held, but others are scheduled for August as the redistricting battle continues to unfold.
Tuesday’s ruling could have a bearing on November’s general elections. Republicans and Democrats are vying for control of the House in the midterms, and several states have conducted mid-decade redistricting to favor one party over another.
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