Gov. Kay Ivey is hauling lawmakers back to Montgomery for a high-stakes special session, betting big that the Supreme Court might give the green light to redraw congressional lines before November. The GOP wants one more shot to turn Alabama’s delegation into a spotless 7–0 red wall.
Right now? It’s 5–2, with two Democrats still clinging to seats in a state Republicans argue should be solidly in their column. GOP leaders aren’t shy about the mission. The goal, they say, is to “give our state a fighting chance to send seven Republican members to Congress.”
Here’s the backdrop: federal judges stepped in earlier and imposed their own map — one that carved out a second district with a significant Black voting population. Not only that, they ordered the state to stick with it all the way through the 2030 Census. For Republicans, that ruling landed like a thunderclap.
Now Alabama is appealing, hoping recent legal developments — including a similar fight out of Louisiana — give them an opening to ditch the court-approved lines and revive a 2023 map drawn by state lawmakers. That version would dramatically reshape the district currently represented by Rep. Shomari Figures, a Democrat and Black woman.
The catch? Timing is everything. None of this matters unless the courts lift their injunction fast enough to swap maps before ballots are locked in for November. That’s why lawmakers are scrambling to prepare contingency plans, including special primaries in four districts that could be thrown into chaos if the switch happens.
Ivey, for her part, is sticking to a states’-rights script that’s as old as Southern politics itself. “As I continue saying, Alabama knows our state, our people and our districts best,” she insisted. Critics see a power grab. Supporters call it common sense.
