Court Smacks Down Alabama Map That’s ‘Tainted by Intentional Race-Based Discrimination’

Hey, look, federal judges are back in charge of the redistricting fight, despite the Supreme Court striking down race-based gerrymandering as unconstitutional. A panel of judges has blocked Alabama from implementing its new map, calling it "tainted by intentional race-based discrimination." Jamie Dupree says the new map erased the seat of one black House Democrat. We thought the Supreme Court determined there were no such things as white seats or black seats, but judges know best.

Alabama's new 6R-1D map which erased the seat of one Black House Democrat gets blocked by a federal court - 'intentional race-based discrimination.' https://t.co/MkaTlI5Jek pic.twitter.com/y6FXnXW3b1
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) May 26, 2026

In case that's difficult to read, the three-judge court ruled:

After that exacting review, we conclude that a preliminary injunction must issue. Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination. And under the unusual circumstances of this case, we conclude that a limited order requiring the Secretary to continue using this Court’s race-blind map will not disrupt Alabama’s elections (all candidates ran under the race-blind map until fifteen days ago, and all voters remain districted under the race-blind map in electoral computer systems).

NBC News reports:

A three-judge panel on Tuesday blocked a Republican-drawn congressional map in Alabama from going into effect, writing that the district lines “intentionally discriminated based on race in violation of the Constitution.”
“We cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” the panel of federal judges wrote.
The decision is a setback for Republicans, who sought to enact the map after a major redistricting ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court last month. The map would eliminate one of Alabama’s two majority-minority districts, putting the GOP in position to gain a seat in this year’s midterm elections.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the state would “immediately appeal” the decision to the Supreme Court.

Where "race blind" means they intentionally made a majority minority district based on race.

You cannot hate these people as much as they deserve to be hated.

The SC will smack them for this. But they might run out the clock using dilatory tactics like this.
— Thatch (@THATCH_ARISES) May 26, 2026

1. The map is not new, it was drawn in 2023.

2. It doesn't "eliminate" anyone's seat. It moves that district back to where it has been for almost 30 years
— David Preston (@dpreston2020) May 26, 2026

It will likely be reversed. There's no such thing as a black district. These are federal judges running on the old paradigm that race must be a factor in districting in the southern states.
— Victor Reeeee (@EmTeaVe) May 26, 2026

Good luck with that.
— Wharf Rat (@joshtpa) May 26, 2026

This appeal will go directly to the Supreme Court, and the decision will be overturned.

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Court Smacks Down Alabama Map That’s ‘Tainted by Intentional Race-Based Discrimination’

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