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

U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, is speaking out after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for Alabama to adopt a congressional map that eliminates the majority Black district he currently represents.

In a 6-3 decision handed down Monday, the high court halted a previous federal court order that had prevented Alabama from utilizing a 2023 congressional map previously characterized as “intentionally discriminatory.”

The ruling allows the state’s conservative supermajority to move forward with the 2023 map, a shift expected to bolster the Republican advantage just before the May 19 primary election.

Figures Slams 'Unfortunate' Ruling

Figures did not hold back in his assessment of the court's move, suggesting it ignores long-standing legal precedents. “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.

He further criticized the court's conservative wing, stating, “The conservative justices on the Supreme Court just literally substituted themselves in to be the defense lawyers for the State of Alabama.”

History of the District 2 Battle

The legal tug-of-war over Alabama's voting lines dates back to June 2023, when the U.S. Supreme Court found that the state's map diluted Black voting power. That decision forced the creation of a second majority-minority district. By October 2023, the current map was approved, establishing the 2nd Congressional District with a 49 percent Black voting age population.

Figures won that seat in 2024, capturing 54 percent of the vote in a victory over Republican Caroleene Dobson. Now, with the district set to be redrawn to favor a more conservative voter base, his path to reelection is clouded. Despite the personal stakes, Figures stated previously that his primary concern is the potential silencing of Black voters rather than his own position.

Continuing the Legal Fight

While the ruling is a significant blow to the current map, Figures noted that the underlying case remains active. “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.”

Figures remains defiant, adding, “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.”

According to Secretary of State Wes Allen, the May 19 primary election will proceed as scheduled in the wake of the Monday ruling.