Federal judge rules Alabama Senate district violates Voting Rights Act, orders new map

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered Alabama lawmakers to draw new state Senate districts after ruling the state violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the influence of Black voters around the capital city.

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco blocked the state from using the current map in the 2026 elections and said a new map must be put in place that creates a new district in Montgomery where Black voters “comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.”

“The appropriate remedy is a redistricting plan that includes either an additional majority-Black Senate district in the Montgomery area, or an additional district there in which Black voters otherwise have an opportunity to elect a senator of their choice,” Manasco wrote in the 261-page ruling.

The ruling said the court will redraw the districts if the state does not do so in time for the 2026 elections.

The order came from a 2021 lawsuit that argued the Alabama Senate district lines diluted the voting strength of Black citizens in Huntsville and Montgomery. The lawsuit maintained that in Montgomery, Black voters were unnecessarily packed into a single district, preventing them from influencing elections elsewhere, while white voters in the majority-Black city of Montgomery were “surgically” extracted into another district.

Manasco did not find a Voting Rights Act violation in Huntsville. However, she said that the evidence shows that another Black-majority district could be created in Montgomery.

Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, Greater Birmingham Ministries and a group of Black voters were plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Legal Defense Fund and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“This decision proves that when we challenge injustice, we can make progress. Alabama must now draw fairer districts in Montgomery, but let’s be clear—leaving Huntsville untouched still denies many Black Alabamians their rightful representation,” said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP.

He said said that while they are celebrating this win they are also demanding that, “the state finish the job and deliver maps that are fair to our communities.”

State Sen. Steve Livingston, who serves as majority leader in the Alabama Senate, said the ruling was being reviewed. “At this time, we are pleased with the court’s ruling in the Huntsville area and disappointed by the ruling in the Montgomery area. We will determine next steps after a thorough review of the opinion in the coming days.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The state could appeal the ruling.

The legislative case mirrors a long-running legal fight over the state’s congressional districts which led to a new district being created ahead of last year’s election.

The ruling will alter the legislative map around Montgomery but will not change the balance in the Alabama Legislature. Republicans hold lopsided majorities in both legislative chambers. The 35-member Alabama Senate currently has seven Black senators.