MONTGOMERY-The U.S. Supreme Court vacated lower court rulings that had blocked Alabama from using its 2023 Republican-drawn congressional map, allowing the state to potentially eliminate one of its two majority-Black districts before the 2026 midterm elections.
The high court sent the dispute back to lower courts to be re-evaluated under a new legal standard set by Louisiana v. Callais, which weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act regarding race-based redistricting.
The decision passed down in a 6–3 ruling, with liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting due to the confusion it introduces so close to state elections.
In response to the ruling, Alabama Republican Party Chairman Scott Stadthagen released the following statement:
“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a major victory for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the right of states to govern themselves. The Voting Rights Act should never be twisted to justify unconstitutional race-based gerrymandering or federal overreach into the redistricting process. The Supreme Court made clear that fairness and equal application of the law matter, and that states like Alabama have the right to enact maps through the legislative process without being forced into race-driven mandates. This is a win for common sense, election integrity, and the people of Alabama.”
Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley’s issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling on April 29, 2026:
“Today’s ruling was a devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Republicans and their right-wing Supreme Court have finally completely their quest to eliminate the protections established by the Supreme Court 61 years ago.
Their 40-year systematic plan to capture the Supreme Court enables Republicans to undermine the power of Black, Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American voters in their states.
Because in their minds, hundreds of years of racial oppression has been cured by 60 years of less than equal rights.
The administration’s request — and today’s decision — are all part of Trump and Republicans’ plot to rig congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms and dilute the voting power of minority voters.
Trump and the GOP know that their approval ratings are on the floor and they’re facing a massive defeat in the midterms. Americans are fed up with their senseless and expensive wars, grifting and looting of our treasury, the brutality perpetrated by ICE, the weakening of civil rights, and protection of pedophiles and wealthy lawbreakers.
The Alabama Democratic Party will fight to prevent Republican attempts to suppress minority representation. Join us and let’s get out this election year and VOTE.”
