The legal battle over Alabama’s Congressional Map drags on. A three-judge panel appointed a special master to draw new voting district lines. That work is due today. The court order for a redrawn map follows a refusal by Alabama Republicans to create a second African American majority district. The future of the State’s Congressional map appears to have national implications. And the U.S. Supreme Court has been asked by Alabama to weigh in on the matter again. Today’s story starts with one question. Where is change likely to happen if a second black district becomes a reality?
“And, that would be Barry Moore's district,” said Doctor Richard Fording.
He teaches Political Science at the University of Alabama. His area of expertise is voting. Fording is referring to Alabama Congressman Barry Moore. His serves in district two, which covers Montgomery and the southeastern corner of the state, known as the wiregrass region. It’s majority white right now and Republican. But, but Fording says maybe not for long…
“But when the case was filed, the plaintiffs those who were challenging, you know, the the original map that was used in the 2022 election, the plaintiffs put forward a couple of versions, and that would be sort of, you know, replacements,” said Fording. “And, of course, that ended up not happening, but those replacement plans, it seemed to target district two.
Is that all—maybe not…
“I think in particular, in Birmingham, you're the most likely to see the significant changes,” said Doctor Kareem Crayton, with NYU’s Brennan Justice Center in Washington, D.C. He’s Senior Director for Voting and Representation. He’s look a little farther north than Fording, with two current members of Congress in mind
“There are configurations that would place the two incumbents who currently live in Birmingham representatives Palmer and tulle in the same district.”
Of course, what happens to Democrat Terri Sewell and Republicans Gary Palmer and Barry Moore all of that depends on how Alabama’s final Congressional map hashes out. A three-judge federal panel wants a second African American district and Republican lawmakers in Alabama have so far said no. Drawing new voting maps often means reflecting the population. And Crayton says that’s why Alabama’s map isn’t changing with the times.
“I think it's probably also true that in the south, the Mobile and the ‘Wiregrass’ area that you're going to also see some shifts. So as I say, the southern part of the state owning up to Birmingham, I think are the places most likely to see some changes.”
Alabama’s population is currently about twenty seven percent African American. But, right now, only District Seven is majority black. That’s where Democrat Terri Sewell serves. Her district starts in South Birmingham. It includes Tuscaloosa and some Alabama counties boarding Mississippi. That district then continues east until it bumps into Republican Barry Moore's district 2 near Montgomery. Crayton says if Black voters statewide in Alabama have questions or complaints, Terri Sewell is likely to get the phone call.
“But, there's so many other things that a member of Congress can do for their constituents, like directing resources for grants, like constituent services, solving problems, everything as small as you didn't get your Social Security check to, I've got an issue with trying to get a passport,” he observed.
Observers say the fight over Alabama’s map could come down to Republican lawmakers and how far they can ignore court orders, and what federal judges can do to enforce their rulings. And apparently, it’s not just people in Alabama who have a stake in this…
“There are a number of other states that have similar types of court challenges to their districting plans, across, you know, different levels of government,” said Doctor Richard Fording of the University of Alabama. We met him earlier in our story.
“If you look just at Congress, which would be the House of Representatives, in addition to Alabama, there are similar cases, and at least as of, you know, a month ago, pending to end Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. And so it's not just Alabama,” he said.
These legal tussles involve other minority majority districts at risk of flipping from Republican control to the Democrats. That’s apparently prompted GOP leaders in Congress and the RNC itself to take a keen interest.
Editor's note: APR originally referred to Congressman Moore as "Morris."
