The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 2, 2026, allowing Alabama to implement a new congressional map that may aid the Republican Party in the upcoming 2026 elections. This decision lifted an injunction from a lower court that had determined the map constituted an unlawful racial gerrymander. The Supreme Court's ruling emphasized that the lower court did not adhere to its previous directive in the case of Louisiana v. Callais, which raised the standard for proving intentional racial discrimination in congressional map drawing.
The majority opinion noted that the lower court failed to consider the presumption of legislative good faith that state lawmakers are entitled to when creating congressional districts. It also criticized the lower court for altering the congressional map shortly before Alabama's rescheduled House primaries, stating that federal courts should refrain from changing election rules close to an election.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, arguing that the ruling would lead to chaos in the electoral process and undermine the voting rights of Black Alabamians. The reinstated map reduces the number of Black-majority districts, which could shift Alabama's congressional delegation from five Republicans and two Democrats to six Republicans and one Democrat.
Alabama has postponed primaries for affected House seats to August 11, following the Supreme Court's decision. The ruling is part of a broader trend, as several Republican-led states have redrawn congressional maps in response to the Callais ruling, aiming to gain House seats by altering majority-minority district requirements.
