A nationwide fight over congressional district boundaries shifted in favor of Republicans Friday, following a Virginia Supreme Court decision that struck down Democratic redistricting efforts and new legislation in Alabama setting up potential primary elections if courts approve GOP-drawn maps for November’s midterm contests.
Republican Governor Kay Ivey quickly signed Alabama’s legislation into law, marking another step in a broader Republican strategy across Southern states to take advantage of a recent Supreme Court decision that substantially reduced Voting Rights Act safeguards for minority communities.
Tensions ran high at Alabama’s state capitol, where security personnel removed a demonstrator from the crowded House viewing area. Similar confrontations occurred in Louisiana and South Carolina, where Republican legislators faced strong pushback from civil rights advocates and Democratic opponents while unveiling their congressional redistricting proposals Friday.
These developments followed Thursday’s passage of new congressional boundaries in Tennessee that split apart a Democratic-controlled, majority-Black district in Memphis. The Tennessee Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday, arguing the maps should not take effect until after this year’s elections due to timing constraints.
The redistricting conflict had already intensified before last week’s Supreme Court decision in a Louisiana case, with both major parties fighting for advantages in midterm elections that will decide control of the narrowly divided House. Republicans gained further momentum when Virginia’s highest court ruled Friday that Democratic legislators had broken constitutional procedures when putting a redistricting measure before voters.
Republican strategists believe they could pick up as many as 14 House seats through new district maps across multiple states, while Democrats estimate they might gain up to six seats following redistricting efforts that began after former President Donald Trump supported Texas redistricting plans last summer.
Alabama’s special primary elections would only occur if courts agree to remove an injunction that currently keeps a court-approved map in place through the 2030 census. That judicial order mandated a second district with a Black majority or near-majority, leading to the 2024 election victory of Democratic Representative Shomari Figures, who is Black. Should courts remove the injunction, Republican leaders plan to implement a 2023 legislative map that federal courts previously rejected, potentially allowing them to regain control of Figures’ district.
“With this special session successfully behind us, Alabama now stands ready to quickly act, should the courts issue favorable rulings in our ongoing redistricting cases,” Ivey said in a statement.
However, a three-judge panel rejected Alabama’s Friday evening request to remove their injunction and clear the path for new maps. The matter remains under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Virginia Democrats had anticipated gaining up to four additional House seats under new districts that voters narrowly approved in April. The state Supreme Court invalidated the measure, determining that the Democratic-controlled legislature failed to follow proper procedures.
Virginia’s Constitution mandates that lawmakers approve constitutional amendments during two separate legislative sessions, with a state election occurring between the votes. The legislature’s first approval of the redistricting amendment happened last October while early voting was already underway but had not yet concluded for the general election. The second legislative vote took place after the new session began in January.
The state’s highest court determined the initial approval came too late, pointing out that more than 1.3 million ballots had already been submitted, representing approximately 40% of all votes eventually cast.
In Louisiana, a Senate committee reviewed multiple redistricting proposals Friday from Republican state Senator John “Jay” Morris that would eliminate one or both existing Black-majority House districts.
“Every one of these maps reduces Black voting power in every one of the districts. And I think that’s a problem,” Democratic state Senator Sam Jenkins told Morris.
Morris rejected claims that his proposed redistricting maps discriminated based on race. He explained his objective was to be “respectful of the traditional boundaries” of Louisiana’s six congressional districts.
“I don’t think we should care that much about race,” Morris said.
South Carolina legislators convened an unusual Friday session to examine a proposed congressional map designed to give Republicans control of all seven of the state’s House seats.
The House hearing represented the initial phase of redistricting. However, the proposal’s future remains uncertain, as the state Senate has not yet agreed to consider new districts later this month, which requires a two-thirds majority vote.
