Alabama Democrat who may lose House seat after SCOTUS ruling vows ‘the fight will go on’

U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, is condemning a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that will allow Alabama to adopt a congressional map that eliminates the majority Black district he currently represents. In a 6-3 decision Monday, the court halted a previous federal court ruling preventing Alabama from using a 2023 congressional map described as “intentionally discriminatory.” The decision opens the door for the state‘s conservative supermajority to adopt the 2023 congressional map and increase Republican advantage ahead of the May 19 primary. “This is an incredibly unfortunate decision by the Supreme Court that not only continues their trend of breaking from the norms and precedents set by the Court, but also sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and 60s in terms of Black political representation in the state,” Figures said. “The conservative justices on the Supreme Court just literally substituted themselves in to be the defense lawyers for the State of Alabama.” In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama‘s congressional map diluted Black voting power, affirming a lower court’s order for the state to create a second majority-minority district. In October 2023, the current congressional map was approved that made the 2nd Congressional District majority-minority with a 49 percent Black voting age population. Figures was elected to represent District 2 in 2024, winning 54 percent of the vote and beating Republican candidate Caroleene Dobson. Now, his reelection bid is in doubt since his district will be redrawn to favor a more conservative leaning base of voters. But Figures said previously that he does not see his job as being on the line but rather the voices and voting rights of Black people being endangered. “This Supreme Court did not dismiss the case, so the litigation will certainly continue,” Figures said. “My hope is that this is a temporary setback and that three-Republican appointed judges will again find what they found the first time: that the State of Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters in drawing its congressional district lines. “I ran for this seat to be a voice for all of Alabama, and I’m not backing down from that mission now. The fight must and will go on.” Secretary of State Wes Allen said that the May 19 primary election will still proceed as planned following the Supreme Court ruling Monday.