Federal Court Redraws a Fair Alabama Congressional Map — Likely Giving Democrats Another U.S. House Seat

A federal court docket has redrawn Alabama’s congressional map after the Republican-controlled state legislature did not adjust to the Voting Rights Act — and a Supreme Courtroom order — by refusing to create districts consultant of the state’s Black inhabitants.

The brand new congressional map is the results of a prolonged authorized combat and can have an effect that reaches far past state traces, as it’ll add a second congressional district within the state that favors Democrats, probably flipping a U.S. Home seat blue in 2024.

The U.S. representatives for Alabama’s 2nd and seventh Congressional Districts will now be chosen largely by Black Alabamians, who’ve traditionally voted for Democratic candidates, as NPR correspondent Hansi Lo Wang famous Thursday.

Cook dinner Political Report’s Dave Wasserman reviews that — primarily based on how individuals voted within the 2020 presidential election — Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District has simply gone from favoring Republicans by 21 factors to favoring Democrats by 12 factors.

Earlier this 12 months, federal judges threw out a seven-district congressional map drawn up by Republican lawmakers after discovering it could have violated the landmark Voting Rights Act by diluting the ability of Black voters within the state.

Following an enchantment, the U.S. Supreme Courtroom agreed with the decrease court docket, ruling that the map did seem to discriminate towards Black voters. Whereas Black residents comprise some 27% of Alabama’s inhabitants, simply one of many state’s seven districts is presently drawn to incorporate a majority-Black inhabitants.

The Alabama Legislature was then ordered to adjust to the Voting Rights Act and redraw districts that precisely replicate the state’s inhabitants. As a substitute, the Republican legislature proposed an up to date map that may proceed to profit Republicans, moderately than Black voters.

In September, the federal court docket struck down that up to date map, with judges writing that they had been “disturbed” by how the legislature drew its districts. In a scathing opinion, the court docket mentioned the state “didn’t even nurture the ambition” to adjust to the Voting Rights Act, regardless of being ordered to take action.

The federal court docket added that, as a result of state lawmakers proved unwilling to create a good map, it will appoint a particular grasp to attract a seat during which Black individuals could be correctly represented.

The Democratic Get together misplaced its majority within the U.S. Home of Representatives by only some seats within the 2022 midterms, which might clarify why members of the Alabama GOP wouldn’t compromise on making a district that would probably strip the Home of a safely Republican seat.