A demonstrator holds up a sign outside the Alabama Statehouse.
Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, speaks during a rally after a special session of the state legislature to redraw U.S. Congressional voting maps Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers looking to take part in a national redistricting battle could vote Friday on a plan to alter state’s congressional primaries if the courts allow Republican state officials to switch to more advantageous U.S. House maps ahead of the November midterm elections. The Alabama legislation, which needs only a final Senate vote to go to Republican Gov.
Kay Ivey, seeks to leverage a recentnew congressional districts Thursday that carve up a Democratic-held, Black-majority district in Memphis. Louisiana postponed its U.S. House primaries as lawmakers work to enact new districts. And Republicans in the South Carolina House also have proposed a new U.S. House map. Since President Donald Trump prodded Texas to redraw its congressional districts last summer, a total of nine states have adopted new House districts.
From that, Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats while Democrats think they could gain up to 10. But the parties may not get everything they sought, because theA demonstrator holds up a sign outside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala. , on Thursday, May, 7 2026. Alabama state Sen.
J. T. Waggoner listens to debate on SB 1, a redistricting bill, during a special session of the Alabama Legislature, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Montgomery, Ala. Democrat Alabama State Rep. Juandalynn Givan speaks with a demonstrator as they protest in the Senate hallway in response to HB1 and SB1, redistricting bills, during a special session of the Alabama Legislature, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Montgomery, Ala. Democratic state Sen.
Vivian Figures speaks on SB 1, a redistricting bill, during a special session of the Alabama Legislature, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Montgomery, Ala. A demonstrator holds up a sign outside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala. , on Thursday, May, 7 2026. Alabama has asked federal judges to lift a court order requiring the state to have a second district where Black voters are the majority or close to it.
That district gave rise in 2024 to the election of Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who is Black. — that could allow them to reclaim Figures’ district. Black residents currently make up about 48% of the district’s voting-age population.
That would drop to about 39% under the 2023 map. Republicans hope the federal courts will see the case differently in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Louisiana decision. If a court grants Alabama’s request, the legislation under consideration would ignore the May 19 primary for some congressional seats and direct the governor to schedule a new primary under the revised districts.
The House passed the legislation on a party-line vote Wednesday, and a Senate committee on Thursday advanced it to the full chamber. Addressing the Senate committee, Figures said his concern isn’t for himself but for the people who fought for decades “to have a voice in what government looks like. ” “I ran into a gentleman last night, and he said, ‘Hey man, I hear your job is on the line.
’ And I told him, ‘No, Shomari Figures is going to be OK. Your voice is on the line,’” Figures said. Some Democrats noted that the state’s segregationist past isn’t that long ago, and it was districts created under the Voting Rights Act that gave rise to Black representation after centuries of disenfranchisement.
“How long are we going to have to repeat history before we realize that all people deserve to be respected and deserve to have the feeling that they are valued? ” asked Democratic state Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, who is Black. Republicans in the South Carolina House distributed a proposed new U.S. House map Thursday.
It would give the GOP an improved chance at winning the only seat currently held by a Democrat. The proposal would take Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn out of the 6th District he has represented since 1992 while splitting the district into four different ones. Clyburn’s current district is made up of nearly 50% Black voters and in the 2024 presidential election, greater than 60% of residents voted for Democrat Kamala Harris.
Italy tells Rubio that Europe needs America and vice versa on Day 2 of US fence-mending visitUS isn’t looking at imminent military action in Cuba despite Trump threats, AP sources sayThe state House on Wednesday approved a resolution giving lawmakers permission to return after the May 14 end of their regular work to continue consideration of a redistricting plan. But the Senate on Thursday delayed a decision on the resolution, because members wanted some idea of what the new districts could look like, Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said.
After the House plan was released, Massey cited continued concerns. He said as many as four districts could become competitive, requiring substantial support for Republican candidates and hurting down-ballot races for the party. The state’s primary elections are June 9.
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