Alabama Will Redraw Congressional Map Despite Court Order
Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that she will call the state legislature back into session on Monday, May 4, to redraw the state’s congressional map.
Ivey’s decision — which is contingent on the U.S. Supreme Court lifting an injunction it imposed as part of its ruling in Allen v. Milligan – follows the High Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, who imposed greater restrictions on racial gerrymandering that created majority-black congressional districts throughout the South.
“I, Kay Ivey, as Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby proclaim and direct that the Legislature of the State of Alabama meet in special session at the Alabama State House, in Montgomery, Alabama, at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026,” Ivey said in a proclamation Friday. “The Legislature may consider legislation providing for a special primary election to elect members of the United States House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Alabama from districts whose boundaries are changed by a court entering a judgment, setting aside an injunction, or otherwise ordering or authorizing a change in the boundaries of such districts. » (RELATED: Supreme Court Overturns Institutionalized Racism)
Proclamation issued on May 1, 2026, by Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey calling for a special session on the state’s congressional map.
(Photo from Governor Kay Ivey’s office)
The announcement of a special session suggests that Alabama lawmakers believe it is likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will lift the injunction imposed as part of the Milligan decision — especially in light of its Callais decision earlier this week.
Alabama joins Louisiana in its quest for redistricting ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections, with several other states potentially considering redrawing their maps in the coming days, including Mississippi and Tennessee, with South Carolina also considering holding a special session. (RELATED: Game-changing SCOTUS decision: Republicans poised to dominate 2026 House map)
Georgia, which — like Louisiana — will hold primaries in just over two weeks, appears to be opting to pass new congressional maps before the 2028 elections instead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Notably, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed an emergency appeal Thursday evening with the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting that the justices – in light of the Callais ruling – lift the Milligan injunction.
If the injunction is lifted and the state legislature agrees to adopt a new map, the most likely outcome, according to reports, is that the state would adopt the 2023 congressional map previously imposed under the Milligan ruling.
“By calling the Legislature into special session, I am ensuring that Alabama is ready if the courts act quickly enough to allow Alabama’s previously drawn Congressional and Senate maps to be used during this election cycle, Ivey said in a statement obtained Friday by the Alabama Reflector. “If the court-ordered injunction is lifted, Alabama would revert to the legislature-drawn maps for congressional districts in 2023 and state districts in 2023. 2o21.
This would result in significant changes to the state’s 2nd Congressional District, moving the seat from a fairly solid Democratic seat to one likely to be won by Republicans.
