Barfoot Changes District After Court-Ordered Map Redraw
Federally-ordered new State Senate map prompts Republican Sen. Will Barfoot to run in a new district in 2026
A federal court-ordered overhaul of Alabama’s State legislative map is reshaping the 2026 elections and prompting at least one sitting lawmaker to run in a new district.
Republican State Senator Will Barfoot of Pike Road announced he will seek election in Senate District 26 instead of his current District 25 after the Legislature’s lines were redrawn under court order to comply with the Voting Rights Act, WSFA has reported.
“I made that decision to continue to try to represent the people of Elmore County with solid conservative leadership,” Barfoot said, explaining his choice to run in the updated district.
The shift stems from a 2025 federal court decision that found Alabama’s State Senate map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diminishing the voting strength of Black residents around Montgomery.
Judge Anna M. Manasco ordered lawmakers to produce new legislative boundaries that include a majority-Black or near-majority-Black district in the Montgomery area to ensure fair representation.
The Legislature did not draw its own map in time, and a special master was appointed to propose plans that meet the court’s requirements. A remedial map was later approved and is expected to take effect for the 2026 midterm elections.
Barfoot’s current District 25 covers parts of Montgomery, Elmore and Crenshaw counties under the old map. With the updated lines, his home base and many of his constituents now lie in the neighboring District 26.
Democratic Sen. Kirk Hatcher, who currently represents District 26, is reported to be fundraising for re-election there.
The Senate map battle is part of a broader, ongoing redistricting struggle in Alabama that has unfolded across federal courts and State politics.
The legal fight began in earnest after Allen v. Milligan, a lawsuit challenging the State’s 2023 congressional map for diluting Black voting power. That litigation resulted in the creation of a second majority-Black congressional district in 2023, a change that survived appeals and helped elect Representative Shomari Figures, a Democrat.
Afterward, State legislative maps also drew scrutiny. In August 2025, a judge ruled the State Senate lines unlawful and barred their use for 2026 unless corrected, prompting the current redrawing process.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declined to call a special session to address the Senate map, saying lawmakers faced legal conflict between Voting Rights Act precedent and constitutional concerns.
With new district lines in place, several incumbents may find themselves representing new voters or facing different political terrain. Barfoot’s decision to run in District 26 highlights how the court-ordered map could shift campaigns and constituent relationships.
