Voters in Alabama’s second congressional district – near the Montgomery metro area – headed to the polls Tuesday for a primary runoff election. It looks like the Democrat that wins their race this week will have a new power at the polls come November.
That power comes from redistricting, according to the National Redistricting Foundation.
Following the landmark Allen v. Milligan case, Democratic primary voter turnout in Alabama’s second congressional district this March “saw an extraordinary increase” of 133% for the Democratic primary over 2022, said the foundation. This year, the new congressional map has an additional “Black opportunity district,” it explained.
“As a result of the new map, Alabama could have two Black Members of Congress representing the state simultaneously for the first time in history following the 2024 general election in November,” said the NRF.
According to the Allen v. Milligan syllabus, Alabama’s districting map was updated in 1992 to create the state’s first majority Black district. However, it stayed mostly the same since then, and after the 2020 decennial census, a group of plaintiffs led by Alabama legislator Bobby Singleton sued the State. They argued population growth rendered the existing congressional map malapportioned and racially gerrymandered in violation of the Equal Protection Clause.
Rep. Barry Moore, a Republican, currently represents the district. He is now running to represent the first congressional district. Candidates in the Tuesday runoff include Democrats Anthony Daniels and Shomari Figures as well as Republicans Dick Brewbaker and Caroleene Dobson.
“It’s clear that Alabama’s representative map is a boon for political participation. That’s great news for democracy,” said Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the NRF. “When voters know they have the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice, they are more motivated to show up to the polls and fulfill their civic duties. The extraordinary increase in voter turnout since Allen v. Milligan not only highlights the power of fairness in our electoral system, but also that previously gerrymandered maps were detrimental to voter turnout and discouraged voters from engaging in the political process altogether.”
With the remarkable voter turnout increase for Democrats, it looks like the redistricting may help the party flip the seat in November, which might impact the GOP’s slim majority in the House.
“The non-partisan Cook Political Report rated the district as ‘likely Democrat,’ meaning that it favors the Democratic candidate in November but isn’t considered a sure thing,” said the Associated Press. “The November race could lead to Alabama having two Black congressional representatives in its delegation for the first time in history.”
In addition to Moore, Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Sen. Katie Britt – both Republicans – serve Alabama. Tuberville’s term is up in 2026 and Britt’s is up in 2028. Britt made headlines this year for her controversial State of the Union address rebuttal, which was spoofed on Saturday Night Live by Scarlett Johansson.