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Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts that could help Republicans
The ruling keeps a race-blind Special Master map in place after judges found the Legislature’s plan intentionally diluted Black voting power.
On Tuesday, federal judges temporarily blocked Alabama's plan to use a new congressional map that could give Republicans an advantage in a key House race, issuing a preliminary injunction requiring the state to continue using court-ordered districts from the 2024 elections.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Black-majority district in Louisiana and weakened the Voting Rights Act prompted Republicans across the South, including Alabama, to reshape voting districts with large minority populations that had elected Democrats.
Alabama must maintain the Special Master map previously used in the 2024 elections and recent 2026 primaries, as lawyers warned that switching maps mid-election year would create chaos and administrative problems.
Alabama could appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court as the decision marks another major turn in redistricting battles across the South, reflecting President Donald Trump's broader push to help Republicans maintain their slim House majority in November elections.