Yesterday, a 3 judge panel made up of 3 Republicans, U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus (appointed by Reagan), District Judge Anna Manasco (appointed by Señor Trumpanzee) and District Judge Terry Moorer (appointed by Señor Trumpanzee), picked the new Alabama congressional map. Instead of yielding 6 Republican seats and 1 Democratic seat, it will likely yield 5 Republican seats and 2 Democratic seats. The map will go into effect in time for the 2024 election. It was the third of 3 maps drawn by a court-appointed special master to remedy the violation of the Voting Rights Act after the Republican-controlled legislature and KKK governor insisted on a racist map to minimize the opportunities of Black Alabamians to pick a candidate of their choice. Trump won the old AL-02 by 29 points. Under the new boundaries, Biden would have won it by 12 points.
Mike Cason reported that now that District 2 will be a second blue constituency, District 1, which spans the southern strip of the state from Mobile, along the border of Matt Gaetz’s backward Florida panhandle district, and all the way to Georgia, will see a primary battle between far right conservative Jerry Carl and neo-fascist Barry Moore. Both are dedicated MAGAts. Moore represented the eastern part of the new district (about 40% of GOP primary voters) and Carl the western part (about 60% of the GOP primary voters).
The three-judge court allowed the Legislature time to pass a new map. But the court found that the map approved during a special session in July did not fix the likely Voting Rights Act violation. The court ordered the special master to submit three maps, which were discussed at a hearing on Tuesday.
At that hearing, the plaintiffs who have prevailed in their claim under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, said that Remedial Plan 3 would fix the likely violation of the law.
The plaintiffs group led by Evan Milligan of Montgomery said they preferred Remedial Plan 1 but that Plan 3 was a good alternative. The plaintiffs led by Marcus Caster of Mobile said Plans 1 and 3 were both good.
Alabama has had one majority Black district, District 7, and six heavily white districts since 1992, when the map was also drawn by a federal court.
The new map makes no changes to Districts 3, 4, and 5 and minimal changes to Districts 6 and 7.
In a 49-page order issued Thursday, the judges said Remedial Plan 3 fixed the dilution of Black voters that created the likely Voting Rights Act violation while not changing the Legislature’s map any more than was necessary.
“Accordingly, we find that Remedial Plan 3 completely remedies the vote dilution we found and satisfies all applicable federal constitutional and statutory requirements while most closely approximating the policy choices the Alabama Legislature made in the 2023 Plan,” the judges wrote. “Put differently, we find that Remedial Plan 3 limits our modifications of the 2023 Plan only to those necessary to cure the statutory defect that we identified, and that Remedial Plan 3 does not intrude on Alabama policy any more than is necessary to bring the 2023 Plan into compliance with Section Two of the Voting Rights Act.”
The Alabama Legislative Black Caucus issued a news release praising the ruling by U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus, District Judge Anna Manasco and District Judge Terry Moorer.
“Today, we celebrate a victory for voting rights for all Alabamians,” Sen. Merika Coleman (D-Pleasant Grove) said. “For two years, we have fought vigorously to end racial gerrymandering in Alabama and we are pleased with this landmark decision. Not only will this positively affect Alabama, but it will also help remedy the racial gerrymandering that is occuring throughout our nation. Fairmaps ensure that no matter what your race, ethnicity, or political leaning- that your vote counts.”
Secretary of State Wes Allen had told the court Alabama needed a map by early October to prepare for next year’s elections. The judges have noted that timeline in their rulings.
Expect a spirited primary. Over the next few weeks expect to see an onslaught of candidates for the new AL-02 seat. Right now the only candidate is Austin Vigue, a white progressive. Likely candidates include state Rep. Napoleon Brady, Jr, state Sen. Merika Coleman, state Rep. Juandalynn Givan, state Sen. Vivian Figures, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, state Sen. Kirk Hatcher, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, state Sen. Robert Stewart and state Board of Education member Tonya Chestnut.
There are similar cases pending in Louisiana and Georgia, while the KKK has taken control of the North Carolina Supreme Court and is working on a new congressional map there that will do the opposite— disenfranchise Black voters and hand one or two more congressional seats to the GOP.
slightly less crimson does not really mean "bluer". Not even fuchsia-er.