Alabama and Tennessee Governors Call Special Sessions to Redraw Congressional Districts

Republican governors in Alabama and Tennessee have convened special legislative sessions this week to redraw congressional district boundaries in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.

In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey called legislators back to Montgomery starting Monday to approve contingency plans for special primary elections. This move aims to reinstate a 2023 Republican-drawn map that could replace a court-imposed one featuring a second majority-Black district. The proposed map could potentially unseat a Democratic congressman and shift the balance toward seven Republican representatives.

Similarly, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced a special session beginning Tuesday for the GOP-controlled Legislature to dismantle the state's sole Democratic-held district centered around Memphis, a majority-Black area. The intent is to eliminate this Democratic stronghold and create an additional seat favorable to Republicans, further solidifying the GOP's dominance in the state, which currently has eight Republican representatives out of nine.

These actions follow the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which invalidated a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana, stating that the drawing of the map relied too heavily on race. This decision has prompted several Southern states to reconsider their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Critics, including civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers, view these initiatives as modern-day gerrymandering efforts aimed at diluting Black voting power, drawing comparisons to Jim Crow-era tactics. Legal challenges are expected to follow in several states.