US Supreme Court ends order requiring Alabama to have two Black congressional districts

# REDISTRICTING RUG PULL: SCOTUS Drops the Hammer on Alabama’s Second Black District! The U.S. Supreme Court just went nuclear on Alabama’s voting map. On Monday, the high court officially killed the order that forced the state to have two majority-Black congressional districts, sending shockwaves through the political landscape just days before voters head to the polls. Alabama is officially reverting to a single majority-Black district for this year’s cycle. It’s a 6-3 stunner that has absolutely wrecked the vibes for next week’s primary elections. ### The Play-by-Play: Conservatives Take the W The court’s conservative heavyweights vacated a previous ruling from an Alabama federal court that had gifted the state a second Black district. The justification? A recent ruling in *Louisiana v. Callais*. Meanwhile, the court’s liberal wing—Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan—were left holding the "L," dissenting with some serious heat. Justice Sotomayor didn’t hold back in her dissent, pointing out that the Louisiana case only flipped one part of the legal logic used in Alabama. She’s essentially saying the lower courts could still find that Alabama’s map-makers were moving with "main character energy" to intentionally discriminate against Black voters, violating the 14th Amendment. For those keeping score at home, that Louisiana case earlier this month basically ruled that racial gerrymandering is a "no-go" under the Constitution. ### Chaos in the Streets: May 19 Primary Under Fire Alabama’s primary is set for May 19, and this ruling is the definition of a last-minute plot twist. By citing the *Callais* case, the Supreme Court basically told the GOP-led Legislature, "Your map is back in play." That map features only one majority-Black district, effectively ghosting the court-ordered version that had been in place. An injunction had previously locked Alabama’s maps until 2030, but SCOTUS just made that order moot. Republican leaders, who have been thirsty to cement their supermajority and send more GOP bodies to D.C., finally got the opening they were looking for. ### The Reaction: "A Prescription for Chaos" U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile), who is currently looking at his seat disappearing into thin air, slammed the decision. "My hope is that this is a temporary setback," Figures told **205focus.com**. "I ran for this seat to be a voice for all of Alabama, and I’m not backing down. The fight must and will go on." State Sen. Bobby Singleton was even more cinematic in his legal filing, describing a scene straight out of a thriller. He claimed that while tornado sirens were screaming and flooding forced the State House to evacuate, white legislators "rammed through" an unconstitutional bill to slash Black representation in half. Singleton called the move a "prescription for chaos" for candidates and voters alike. ### The Victory Lap vs. The Resistance Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen is taking his victory lap, calling it a "historic win for Alabama voters." He confirmed the May 19 primary is still a go. Attorney General Steve Marshall also weighed in, saying the state finally won its "right to fight" against maps he claims were forced on them by "unelected federal judges." On the flip side, Rep. Terri Sewell called the ruling a "direct attack" and a "return to Jim Crow." She’s promising that Black Alabamians—who make up nearly one-third of the state's electorate—won't be dragged backward without a fight. ### What Happens Now? The ballots are already printed, and for the GOP hopefuls in the 1st District, seven names are on the sheet. But according to State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine), those results are likely headed for the trash can. It’s now up to Governor Kay Ivey to call a special election for Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7. The 2nd District, which had been trending toward a minority-leaning seat, is now snapping back to a majority-white, Republican-safe zone. "We’re back to the 2023 map," Elliott told **205focus.com**. "How do you deal with this? You’ll see the governor call a special election, and we’ll work it backwards." As for the candidates? Former U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl is staying put in the 1st District, while Rhett Marques—who was a frontrunner in the 1st—just announced he’s pivoting to run in the 2nd. Talk about a mid-game adjustment. **205focus.com** reached out to Governor Ivey’s office for comment. Stay tuned—this situation is developing fast, and the vibes are anything but settled. *This story was fueled by reporting from Ruth Serven Smith, Patrick Darrington, John Sharp, and The Associated Press.*