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SCOTUS ruling could impact congressional maps
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that limits the use of race when states look to draw congressional maps. LiveNOW from FOX's Ryan Schmelz spoke with Josh Rultenberg, author of Draw the Line in Ohio, about what this means for the next election cycle.
The redistricting battle across the country continues this week, with special legislative sessions summoned in Alabama and Tennessee.
Here’s what to know about the redistricting battle, and what’s ahead for Alabama and Tennessee:
Redistricting battle
The backstory:
Voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade, after each census. President Donald Trump kicked off a national redistricting battle last year by urging Republican officials in Texas to redraw districts.
The goal was to help Republicans win more seats in the November elections and hold on to a narrow House majority, but the redistricting in Texas led to a burst of redistricting nationwide.
The other side:
New maps in Democrat-led states have offset the gains in Republican states.
SEE: Map: These states have approved redistricting plans to influence midterm elections
Supreme Court Voting Rights Act
FILE - An activist holds a U.S. flag during a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on October 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/ Getty Images)
Recently:
Last week, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down part of the Voting Rights Act that banned racial gerrymandering and protected against racial discrimination in voting and representation.
The decision opened the door for Republican-led states to attempt to redraw their maps before the midterms by eliminating Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats.
Alabama redistricting
What's next:
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has called legislators back to Montgomery starting Monday. The special session is centered on enabling a special primary election.
Dig deeper:
The state is hoping, after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, that they can revert to a 2023 map drawn by state lawmakers ahead of midterm elections.
Federal judges previously ordered Alabama to use a court-selected map with a second district with a substantial number of Black voters through 2030.
The other side:
Alabama Democrats sharply criticized the decision to try to change the maps ahead of looming elections.
"This special session is a blatant power grab by Republican leadership in Montgomery to eliminate seats held by Black Democrats," said former Sen. Doug Jones, a Democratic candidate for Alabama governor.
Tennessee redistricting
What's next:
Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee has also announced a special session starting Tuesday. Republicans are eyeing the possibility of getting new lines in place for the 2026 midterm elections, or at least for 2028.
Dig deeper:
Republicans had been prevented by previous precedent in Voting Rights Act cases from spreading the district’s Democratic voters among neighboring conservative districts and making it winnable. But the law may no longer be an impediment.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous FOX Television Station reporting. This story was reported from Detroit.