Federal Judges Try Keeping Race-Based Congressional Maps Alive Despite Supreme Court Ruling
Ireland Owens
Reporter
May 26, 2026
A federal panel on Tuesday blocked Alabama Republicans’ House map, ruling that the Supreme Court’s recent landmark decision limiting the Voting Rights Act does not affect their conclusion that the map was intentionally discriminatory against black voters.
In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the three-judge federal panel directed Alabama to continue using the court-drawn “Special Master” congressional map for November’s midterms. The panel wrote in the ruling that the “purpose” of the state’s plan to use a new 2023 congressional map “was to distribute” black voters “across districts to dilute their votes, at least in part because they are Black.” (RELATED: Supreme Court Clears Way For Alabama To Redraw Congressional Map)
After the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act decision in April 2026, Alabama moved to reinstate a 2023 congressional map — containing just one Democratic-leaning district — that had previously been struck down in court, Politico reported.
“Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” according to the ruling. “And under the unusual circumstances of this case, we conclude that a limited order requiring the Secretary to continue using this Court’s race-blind map will not disrupt Alabama’s elections (all candidates ran under the race-blind map until fifteen days ago, and all voters remain districted under the race-blind map in electoral computer systems).”
https://dailycaller.com/2026/05/26/federal-judges-alabama-race-based-maps-supreme-court/
