Why It Matters
A rapidly shifting redistricting landscape across multiple states is reshaping the balance of power in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms. Court decisions and state legislative maneuvers in Alabama, South Carolina, and Missouri could determine which party controls the chamber following November elections — with Republicans working to expand their current advantage and Democrats fighting to hold existing seats.
What Happened
Alabama will now conduct two separate primary elections for its congressional seats after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the state to use a 2023 congressional map that had previously been blocked by lower courts. The high court’s conservative majority vacated the lower court ruling that had required Alabama to include a second majority-Black district. The court’s three liberal-leaning justices opposed the order.
Because Alabama’s regular statewide primary is scheduled for May 19 — with absentee ballots already mailed — Republican Gov. Kay Ivey announced a special primary election set for August 11 covering four of the state’s seven congressional districts: the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th. The 2nd and 7th districts are currently held by Black Democrats; the 1st and 6th are Republican-held seats that border them.
Ivey stated the Supreme Court’s action reflects sound judgment. “Alabama knows our state, our people and our districts best,” she said in a public statement Tuesday. She added that the ruling gives Alabamians “another opportunity to send strong voices to Washington.”
Secretary of State Wes Allen clarified that any votes cast for the affected congressional races on May 19 will be counted and reported publicly, but will be considered void for purposes of determining party nominees under the governor’s proclamation.
Voting rights organizations quickly challenged the move in federal court, arguing the reversion to a map that was never implemented — while absentee ballots are already in circulation and legal deadlines have passed — is contrary to the public interest.
In South Carolina, the Republican push to redraw congressional lines hit a significant obstacle. The state Senate fell short of the two-thirds majority required to extend the current legislative session and take up redistricting. Several Republicans sided with Democrats in opposing the extension, with some expressing concern that dismantling the state’s lone Democratic-held district — represented by Rep. Jim Clyburn — could render currently safe Republican seats more competitive. Primary voting in South Carolina begins in two weeks. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster retains the authority to call a special session but has indicated he is leaving the decision to the legislature.
In Missouri, the state Supreme Court upheld a Republican-drawn redistricting map targeting a Democratic-held U.S. House seat, ruling that a voter initiative effort to place the question on the ballot would not block the new map from taking effect this fall.
By the Numbers
- 4 of Alabama’s 7 congressional districts affected by the special primary schedule
- August 11 — date set for Alabama’s special congressional primary
- May 19 — Alabama’s regular statewide primary date, already underway with absentee voting
- ~8 seats — the approximate current Republican advantage gained through redistricting efforts nationally ahead of the midterms
- Two-thirds — the supermajority threshold the South Carolina Senate failed to reach to extend its session
Zoom Out
The Alabama ruling follows a recent Supreme Court decision in a Louisiana redistricting case that significantly narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act as it applies to congressional mapmaking. That Louisiana ruling prompted Alabama’s Republican leadership to seek reinstatement of the previously blocked 2023 map. Louisiana’s own congressional primaries were suspended by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry earlier this cycle to allow redistricting after that ruling took effect.
The broader midterm redistricting push is unusual in its scale. The party holding the White House typically loses House seats in midterm elections, making map adjustments in competitive states a high-stakes priority for Republicans seeking to defend or expand their majority. Similar intraparty dynamics are playing out in Texas, where Republican leaders are taking sides in down-ballot primary runoffs with national implications.
What’s Next
Federal courts will consider the voting rights groups’ request to block Alabama’s reversion to the 2023 map. In South Carolina, Gov. McMaster’s decision on whether to call a special session will be closely watched, as the legislative window before primary voting opens is extremely narrow. Missouri’s new congressional map is set to take effect this fall following the state Supreme Court’s ruling. Judicial vacancies and appointments in several states are adding further complexity to an already crowded legal docket surrounding redistricting disputes heading into the fall election cycle.