Alabama Court Blocks GOP Map, SC Senate Rejects Trump Redistricting Plan

A three‑judge federal panel in Alabama issued a preliminary injunction preventing the state from using a Republican‑drawn congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections. The judges said the plan “intentionally discriminated based on race” by providing only one Black‑majority district and ordered the state to continue using the court‑appointed “Special Master” map that contains two districts with a majority‑Black population. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced an immediate appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, while Democratic Representative Shomari Figures welcomed the decision.

In South Carolina, the Republican‑controlled Senate voted against a Trump‑backed proposal to redraw the state's seven congressional districts. The plan would have eliminated the lone Democratic‑leaning district represented by Rep. James Clyburn. Several Republican senators, including Richard Cash, said, “Neither my conscience nor my common sense will allow me to stop an election that is already underway,” and the motion to advance the map failed. The Senate’s rejection keeps the existing map in place for the 2026 cycle.

Both developments follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in *Louisiana v. Calais*, which weakened the Voting Rights Act’s Section 2 protections and has spurred a wave of redistricting efforts across the Southern states.