Alabama’s Largest County Must Redraw Racially Gerrymandered Maps After Federal Ruling

A federal judge ruled that Alabama’s Jefferson County must redraw its county commission lines after finding the current districts were racially gerrymandered. 

According to WVUA, Jefferson County is the largest county in Alabama, with Black people making up 42% of the population. U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala ruled the county map was unconstitutional because it packed all of the county’s Black voters into only two districts. “Because the 2021 plan violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection against racial gerrymandering, the Court permanently enjoins the Commission and its agents from using the 2021 plan in Jefferson County Commission elections,” Haikala wrote in her ruling. She gave the plaintiffs and the county 30 days to report back on the development of a new map. 

Kathryn Sadasivan, assistant counsel with NAACP Legal Defense Fund, told WVUA that the gerrymandered maps were problematic not only due to the packing but also because the county tried to maintain a racial ratio in the other districts. 

“It’s a problem of not just those two districts that were maintained at super majority Black status without consideration of what the Voting Rights Act required, but also an explicit attempt to maintain the racial ratios of Black voters to white voters in every other district,” Sadasivan said.

On both the state and county levels, racism seems to be a function of Alabama’s redistricting efforts. The state’s congressional maps have faced several lawsuits for racial gerrymandering. In fact, a federal judge has ruled Alabama’s congressional maps are racially gerrymandered not once, but twice. Last month, an Alabama district court ruled that Alabama’s redistricting of the state Senate map intentionally diluted Black voting power. 

So clearly, Alabama Republicans are terrified of Black voting power. 

In an ideal world, redistricting would be a boring procedural effort that accurately reflects the demographics of a given state or district. Unfortunately, we’re dealing with a GOP that’s willing to steal and maintain power by any means necessary. In recent months, President Donald Trump has encouraged several red states to engage in a rare, mid-decade redistricting effort to protect the Republican Party’s narrow majority in the House. Democrats only need a net gain of three seats to flip control of the House. 

The redistricting battle began in Texas when Gov. Greg Abbott used the Kerr County floods to call a special legislative session. Instead of focusing on flood relief, the special session was all about passing a new congressional map. Texas Democrats filibustered and even left the state to break quorum so a vote couldn’t be held on a new map. While the first session ended with no vote on the new map, Gov. Abbott quickly called a second special session, where a map adding five new seats in districts Trump won was passed. 

Missouri launched a redistricting effort earlier this month that resulted in a new congressional map that gives Republicans an extra seat. States like Florida and Indiana are currently considering redistricting efforts of their own. In response to these redistricting efforts, California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the “Election Rigging Response Act.” California will hold a special election on Nov. 4, where voters will decide whether control of the state’s voting maps will stay with an independent commission or if it will temporarily shift to the state legislature for the next five years. Should voters approve Newsom’s effort, the state legislature intends to implement a new electoral map that neutralizes the gains of the Texas map. 

On a national level, House Democrats have met with former Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss strategy on effectively combating the GOP’s redistricting efforts. It’s abundantly clear that on the local, state, and national levels, the GOP is willing to minimize Black voting power in an effort to impose its will on American society. 

SEE ALSO:

President Trump Eyes Florida And Indiana In Redistricting Push

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe Sets Special Session For Redistricting

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Launching Redistricting Effort

Texas Creates 5 New House Seats In Areas Trump Won In 2024