Today we’re breaking down Alabama’s election results. If you read our note about results in Louisiana, this may sound familiar — and that’s because it’s fairly simple: When fair maps are in place, voters have a fair shot at equal representation.

This November, Alabama voters elected two Black members of Congress. For the first time in history, the state — which is 25% Black — will have two of its seven districts held by Black representatives at the same time.

How did we get here?
This victory ties directly back to the landmark Supreme Court case Allen v. Milligan. The Court’s 2023 decision upheld Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and ruled that Alabama’s congressional map illegally diluted the power of Black voters.

The ruling required Alabama to redraw its maps to include a second majority-Black district.

What were we looking for in this election?
Leading up to Election Day, Attorney General Holder was on the ground in Alabama supporting pro-democracy candidates, driving voter registration, education, and turnout.

On Election Night, we were watching results in the 2nd Congressional District — the one redrawn as a majority-Black district. Shomari Figures, a Democrat from Mobile, AL, flipped the district. For Alabamians, this next Congress will be the most representative of their lifetimes.

What does this mean?
This outcome confirms that the new congressional maps work as the Court intended — a truly representative map leads to a more representative government. It’s undeniable that the Voting Rights Act remains an extremely effective law to protect the right to vote.

What’s next for Alabama?
We should expect ongoing legal battles over these maps and interpretations of the Voting Rights Act.

As you might imagine, Republican leaders in the state are not interested in maps that are fair — they want maps that help their party unjustly win and hold on to power.

Just days after this November’s election, the former chair of the Alabama Republican Party weighed in on plans to undo this fair redraw of the 2nd Congressional District: “I can tell you that there is talk and it’s not going to go away. An election might be two years from now, but that does not mean our legislature might not take another look at it. It does not mean that we have to not file court cases and go to court over it.”

For now, fair maps are the law of the land in Alabama. But it’s clear we must do everything in our power to protect and strengthen them.

More to come on this — thanks so much.

Team NDRC

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