Alabama GOP Senators Hail Special Session on Election Maps

Alabama State Senate Republican leaders praised the Legislature’s work Friday after lawmakers adjourned a Special Session focused on congressional and legislative election maps tied to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

The Session was called by Governor Kay Ivey to craft legislation aimed to allow Alabama elections to proceed under maps previously approved by the Legislature. Republican leaders argued the measures restore authority over redistricting to State lawmakers rather than federal courts.

In a Statement released following sine die adjournment, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) said the Session marked a major step toward reclaiming Alabama’s elections.

“The successful Special Session held this week put Alabama firmly on the path toward reclaiming our congressional and legislative elections with maps that were drafted, drawn and approved by Alabamians, not by the federal courts,” Gudger said.

Gudger also praised Senators for continuing their work through severe weather and disruptions at the State House.

“Our Senators deserve recognition for working through tornado warnings, a fire alarm, and State House flooding in order to embrace the Louisiana v. Callais decision and do our part to help President Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and the Republican Party maintain control of Congress for the next several years,” he said.

Gudger added that lawmakers acted while “protecting the two most important things guaranteed to every American by our U.S. Constitution — their voice and their vote.”

“Since 1939, our State motto has been ‘We Dare Defend Our Rights,’ and this week, the Alabama Senate did just that,” Gudger said.

The Special Session followed the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which addressed how race may be considered in congressional redistricting and prompted renewed legal efforts by several Southern States to revisit court-ordered maps. Alabama officials quickly moved to challenge prior rulings tied to the State’s congressional districts after the decision was issued.

Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine), who sponsored Senate Bill 1 during the Session, said the legislation restores what he called “common sense” to Alabama elections.

“This successful Special Session injected a strong dose of common sense back into Alabama’s legislative elections, and playing a major part is one of my proudest accomplishments,” Elliott said.

“The bill that I sponsored during the Special Session this week allows Alabama to hold elections under the constitutional maps that were passed by the Legislature in 2021 and improperly overturned by the courts,” he continued.

Elliott said the Supreme Court’s ruling gave Alabama lawmakers an opportunity to reverse prior federal court decisions involving the State’s district lines.

“The Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision opens the door to right a judicial wrong and allow us to use district maps that were drawn by Alabamians, not by federal judges, and we were wise to go into Session and use that opportunity,” Elliott said.

Gov. Ivey called lawmakers back to Montgomery after Alabama officials argued the Louisiana decision could affect ongoing litigation over the State’s congressional maps. The Session concluded Friday after lawmakers passed legislation related to election procedures and district maps ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

Governor Ivey signed the bills into law on Friday.