Federal court says Alabama must use map that creates 2nd Black majority district

Source: Politico

08/07/2025 10:17 PM EDT


Alabama must use independently drawn congressional maps that created a second Black-majority district more favorable to Democrats in the state for the rest of the decade, a federal court said Thursday.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled unanimously that the state must use the map drawn up by a court-appointed special master until regular redistricting is scheduled to be done in 2030.

The decision, which enabled Democrats to gain a seat in the last election, comes as both parties gear up for competing redistricting efforts in response to a move by Texas to redraw boundaries to improve the chances that Republicans will pick up five additional seats. The court in Alabama barred the state from using a map drawn in 2023 that did not include a second Black-majority district in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling.

Two of the judges, Anna Manasco and Terry Moorer, were appoint (sic) to their seats by President Donald Trump. The third, Stanley Marcus, was appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/07/federal-court-alabama-must-use-map-black-majority-district-00499369