A federal trial in Montgomery, Alabama, is set to determine the fate of the state’s congressional map, which has led to the election of a second Black representative. The trial will determine whether lines drawn by state lawmakers diluted the voting power of Black residents, with a court-ordered map currently in place that created a second majority-Black district.
Plaintiffs argue that the court-ordered map should remain permanent to ensure fair representation, while Alabama is seeking to reinstate state-drawn maps. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall insists that the state-drawn map complied with the law, despite previous rulings against the state.
The long-running case stems from lawsuits filed in 2021 by Black voters and civil rights groups, alleging that the state’s congressional map disenfranchised Black voters by packing them into one majority-Black district. The three-judge panel concluded that the map likely violated the Voting Rights Act, leading to the creation of a new map that increased the Black voting-age population in District 2.
Attorneys representing plaintiffs, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, argue that Alabama’s continued resistance to the court-ordered map is a form of intentional discrimination. Rep. Shomari Figures, the new Black representative elected under the current map, emphasizes the importance of fair representation for Black Alabamians.
The trial is expected to last at least two weeks as the court deliberates on whether the court-ordered map will remain in place or if Alabama will be allowed to reinstate state-drawn lines that historically disadvantaged Democratic candidates who depend on Black votes.
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