Source: POLITICO
Summary
A federal appeals court blocked a proposed Alabama congressional map that would have given Republicans an extra seat by eliminating a Black-majority seat held by Democrats. The court ruled that the map was “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination” and ordered the use of a previous map with two majority Black districts. The decision is a temporary setback for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. The court’s ruling was based on the Supreme Court’s recent decision curbing the use of race in drawing electoral districts.
Our Reading
Once again, the discussion returns to a familiar question.
The court’s decision was based on a previous Supreme Court ruling. The proposed map would have given Republicans an extra seat. The court called the map “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination”. The ruling is a temporary setback for Republicans. The process has entered a familiar phase: the back-and-forth over electoral maps.
Author: Evan Null
Redistricting Efforts
Alabama Republicans sought to use a previously blocked 2023 congressional map following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling curbing the use of race in the drawing of electoral districts.
Blocked Map
The three-judge panel said Republicans must continue to use a map that has two majority Black districts where Democrats hold significant advantages.
Court’s Decision
“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 federal judges wrote.
