Updated May 8, 2026 — Alabama Republicans approved legislation Friday to set up new congressional primary elections if courts allow a GOP-drawn map to replace the state’s current map. Gov. Kay Ivey quickly signed the measure after lawmakers convened a special session aimed at responding to last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which narrowed the reach of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The new law would effectively nullify May 19 primary results for certain congressional seats and direct the governor to schedule replacement primaries if a court permits the 2023 map to be used. That 2023 map, crafted by the Republican-controlled legislature, would reduce the number of Democratic-leaning districts; critics say it could eliminate one of the state’s two Democratic seats. The map approved for use in 2023 was previously rejected by courts and replaced with a different map drawn by a court-appointed expert in 2023, a map that created two districts where Black voters are a substantial portion of the electorate.
A federal injunction issued last year requires Alabama to use the court-drawn map until after the 2030 census. State officials asked the Supreme Court on Friday to halt that injunction and allow the legislature’s 2023 plan to take effect; Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed an emergency application seeking a stay. Justice Clarence Thomas asked for a response from the other side by Monday. The district court that issued the injunction denied a request to stay its ruling on Friday.
The special session and the new law drew sharp opposition. Inside the Statehouse, protesters were removed from the House gallery, and demonstrators outside chanted slogans including “fight for democracy” and “down with white supremacy.” Black lawmakers condemned the move as a regression, with state Senate Democrats shouting “hell no” during votes. Democratic state Sen. Rodger Smitherman said the action set voters back to the days of Reconstruction.
The move in Alabama is part of a broader push by Republican legislatures in several Southern states to redraw congressional districts after the Supreme Court’s decision. Tennessee recently enacted new districts that divided a Black-majority, Democratic-held seat in Memphis; the state Democratic Party sued seeking to block use of the new lines this year. Lawmakers in Louisiana and South Carolina also took steps to redraw districts and faced protests and legal challenges.
The redistricting fight is unfolding as both parties jockey for advantage ahead of the midterm elections, and as courts continue to resolve disputes about maps and election procedures in multiple states.