In Alabama, Democrats are seeking to mobilize Black voters ahead of the November elections, responding to recent redistricting efforts that they say weaken minority representation. Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones and Representative Shomari Figures, who currently faces a challenging reelection campaign, have both highlighted the importance of turnout among Black voters amid these changes.
Jones, who lost his Senate seat to Republican Tommy Tuberville in 2020 and is now running for governor, emphasized the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s April ruling that rolled back key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The decision followed a lawsuit from Louisiana and led to rapid shifts in district maps across Southern states, including Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana. These new maps were drawn to reduce the influence of Black voters and favor Republican candidates.
In Alabama, the redrawing of the Second Congressional District, represented by Figures, reflects this trend. The district, which had previously enabled Alabama to send two Black representatives to Congress for the first time—Figures and Terri Sewell—was redrawn to include more predominantly white, conservative areas. The new boundaries shift from linking Montgomery and Mobile to combining Montgomery with parts of the southeastern Wiregrass region, making the district less favorable to Democratic candidates.
Figures, whose father Michael Figures was a civil rights lawyer instrumental in past legal battles over district maps and the Ku Klux Klan, has vowed to overcome these obstacles. At a recent town hall at Troy University, he framed the redistricting as a deliberate effort by state leaders to diminish Black representation. Jones has campaigned in majority-Black counties, such as Greene County, where high primary turnout this year suggests possible voter enthusiasm.
Republicans Tuberville, now running for governor against Jones, and Rhett Marques, who seeks to unseat Figures, have endorsed the new congressional map. Both campaigns are supported by former President Donald Trump and have portrayed their Democratic opponents as out of touch. Alabama remains a politically conservative state, and Republicans continue to hold an advantage.
Despite that, Democrats are betting that frustration over voting restrictions will energize Black voters, potentially countering declining enthusiasm among conservative white voters amid Trump’s waning popularity. This strategy extends beyond Alabama, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launching digital campaigns targeting Black voters in House districts in New York, Nebraska, and Ohio, focusing on representation and voting rights.
However, some local organizers caution that redistricting may also depress turnout. Marilyn Hobbs, a Montgomery-based voter education volunteer, noted that repeated erosion of voting rights can discourage participation if citizens feel their votes carry less weight.
Recent elections in Wisconsin and Michigan have shown that Black voter engagement can significantly influence Democratic primaries. In Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary, David Crowley, a Black candidate, defeated a rival who had led in the polls but struggled to secure Black voter support. Similarly, in Michigan, Black voter support proved decisive in a tight Democratic Senate primary.
As Alabama enters the 2026 election cycle, Jones and Figures hope history and heightened voter awareness will translate into electoral success, despite the state's new electoral landscape shaped by court decisions and legislative redistricting.