U.S. Supreme Court Clears Way for Alabama to Eliminate Second Black Congressional District

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BuzzReport) — The Supreme Court of the United States on Monday delivered a major ruling that could dramatically reshape Alabama’s congressional map and weaken Black voting representation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

In a 6-3 decision, the nation’s highest court lifted a lower court order that had required Alabama to continue using a court-drawn congressional map containing two districts where Black voters had the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. 

The ruling now opens the door for Alabama Republicans to move forward with a map containing only one majority-Black congressional district out of the state’s seven congressional seats. 

The decision marks a dramatic reversal from the court’s own 2023 ruling in the landmark case Allen v. Milligan, when the Supreme Court ruled Alabama’s Republican-drawn congressional map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power. That earlier ruling forced Alabama to create a second district where Black voters could meaningfully influence elections. 

Under the court-ordered map, Democrats gained a second congressional seat after the election of Shomari Figuresalongside longtime Congresswoman Terri Sewell. 

But Monday’s ruling could erase one of those districts entirely.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority issued the decision after recently ruling in a separate Louisiana case that critics say weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act and made it harder to challenge racially discriminatory voting maps. 

The court’s three liberal justices strongly dissented.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the ruling, warning it would create confusion and undermine years of findings by lower federal courts that determined Alabama lawmakers intentionally diluted Black voting strength. 

Civil rights advocates immediately condemned the ruling, calling it another major setback for voting rights protections in the Deep South.

Organizations including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund argued the decision threatens the political voice of Black Alabamians, who make up roughly 27% of the state’s population but could now be represented by only one majority-Black congressional district. 

Alabama Republicans praised the decision as a victory for state authority and redistricting power. Kay Ivey and state Republican leaders had already prepared for the possibility of a favorable ruling by passing legislation allowing special congressional primaries if district lines are changed before the election. 

The ruling comes just days before Alabama’s May 19 primary elections, adding uncertainty to the state’s political landscape and intensifying national debate over race, voting rights, and partisan gerrymandering.

Legal experts say the decision could have consequences far beyond Alabama, potentially encouraging Republican-led states across the South to challenge or redraw minority voting districts ahead of the 2026 elections.