A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Alabama must continue using its current congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections, rejecting an effort by Republican lawmakers to restore a previously challenged district plan. The decision keeps in place a court-ordered map containing two majority-Black districts that are considered favorable to Democratic candidates.
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The dispute centers on Alabama’s 2023 congressional map, which Republicans argued should be reinstated following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrowed how race can be considered in redistricting cases. GOP leaders believed the ruling opened the door for states to revisit district lines that had previously been blocked in voting-rights litigation.
However, the three-judge federal panel declined to approve the proposed change. In its opinion, the court said the earlier map raised concerns related to race-based district design and concluded Alabama should continue using the current court-approved boundaries for the upcoming election cycle.
The ruling is expected to send the case back toward the Supreme Court as Alabama Republicans prepare another appeal. The continuing legal fight has created uncertainty around election planning as filing deadlines and primary schedules approach. Gov. Kay Ivey has already scheduled several congressional primaries for Aug. 11 under the current district map.
Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, whose district is directly affected by the dispute, welcomed the appeals court decision while acknowledging the legal battle is likely to continue. He said the ruling was an important development but emphasized that additional court challenges are expected in the months ahead.
The Alabama case is part of a broader national fight over congressional redistricting following the Supreme Court’s recent decisions on voting rights and race-based districting. Similar legal and political disputes are underway in several Republican-led states, including Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee, as both parties work to shape the congressional landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Benjamin Harris is a RapidReports front page contributor and editor,proud father of four.
