Alabama holds special primaries under redrawn map eliminating Black district
Voters in four congressional districts choose nominees under new boundaries that reduce Democratic representation.
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Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 15 items across 4 sources · 46m ago. Quotes are verbatim.
Alabama held special primary elections on August 12, 2026 in four congressional districts under a redrawn map approved by the U.S. Supreme Court. The new map eliminates one of the state's two majority-Black districts, reducing the Black voting share in the 2nd District from 50% to 40%. The elections were postponed from May after a Supreme Court decision allowed the state to implement a 2023 map previously ruled racially discriminatory.
- The Supreme Court allowed Alabama to implement a 2023 map previously struck down as racially discriminatory, reducing Black representation in the 2nd District from 50% to 40%.
- The special primaries were postponed from May 19 to August 12 after the Supreme Court decision, as part of a nationwide Republican effort to maximize GOP chances in the 2026 midterms.
- Democratic incumbents Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell ran unopposed in their primaries but face multiple Republican challengers in November under the new district boundaries.
- The redistricting created electoral changes: in the 2nd District, Trump would have beaten Harris 57-42 under new lines versus Harris winning 53-46 under current lines.
How it unfolded
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Voters in the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th Congressional Districts selected nominees under the redrawn boundaries, with no runoff required—the candidate receiving the most votes becomes the nominee. Democratic incumbents Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell faced multiple Republican challengers.
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Multiple outlets publish detailed guides explaining that the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to use a 2023 map previously ruled racially discriminatory, and that the new map eliminates one majority-Black district while reducing Black population share in the 2nd District from 50% to 40%.
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Coverage notes Alabama voters are selecting candidates for four Congressional districts after the state changed the district map to favor Republicans, with reporting indicating the redistricting is causing confusion among voters.
- 12 weeks quiet
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Republican Gov. Kay Ivey postponed primaries for Congressional Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted Republican-controlled Southern states to redraw congressional maps.
What people are saying verbatim
“Alabama voters are again selecting candidates for four Congressional districts after the state changed the district map to favor Republicans.”
Debbie Elliott, NPR reporter · NPR ↗
“Voters in four of Alabama's seven congressional districts will select U.S. House nominees Tuesday under a new map that eliminates one of the state's two majority-Black districts currently represented by Democrats.”
Associated Press, News organization · PBS NewsHour ↗
“In the 2nd District, where Rep. Shomari Figures is running for a second term, the Black population will go from half of the population under the current lines to about 40% under the new lines.”
Associated Press, News organization · PBS NewsHour ↗
“If Scott wins re-election and completes another term, he'll become Vermont's longest-serving governor.”
Al Jazeera, News organization · Al Jazeera ↗