Matthews Criticizes Continued Court Fight Over Alabama Maps

Republican congressional candidate David Matthews is criticizing the continued legal fight over Alabama’s congressional maps, arguing that repeated court challenges are creating confusion for voters ahead of the State’s August 11 special primary election.

Matthews, an Ozark native and former Trump administration appointee, released a statement condemning what he described as “last-minute litigation” and lower-court rulings tied to Alabama’s redistricting battle.

“Enough is enough,” Matthews said. “After the Supreme Court acted, Alabama moved forward with a map drawn by Alabamians and a special election schedule for voters. Now, national Democrats, activist lawyers, and lower-court rulings are once again throwing our elections into uncertainty. Voters deserve stable rules, a clear ballot, and the right to choose their own representatives without Washington lawyers constantly trying to move the goalposts.”

The comments come after Governor Kay Ivey announced special primary elections for four congressional districts following a May ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed the State to temporarily use its 2023 congressional map. Gov. Ivey set August 11 as the date for special primaries in Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7.

The map dispute stems from years of litigation over whether Alabama’s congressional districts comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court’s May order vacated a lower-court ruling that had blocked the Legislature’s 2023 map and required the State to use a court-drawn alternative featuring two majority-Black districts.

Matthews said the ongoing legal fight goes beyond election procedure and speaks to how Alabama communities are represented in Congress.

“A congressional district ought to make sense to the people who live in it,” Matthews said. “District 2 should reflect Alabama communities with shared geography, shared economic interests, shared values, and shared challenges. The Wiregrass, the River Region, and the rural counties across this district are not political chess pieces to be moved around by legal activists. These are real communities with real people who deserve representation rooted in Alabama.”

Under the revised map, Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District would again include much of southeast Alabama and the Wiregrass region. The district is currently represented by Democrat Shomari Figures under the court-drawn map adopted for the 2024 election cycle.

Matthews argued that repeated court intervention is weakening public confidence in the election system.

“Alabama districts should be logical, accountable, and rooted in the communities they serve,” Matthews said. “That should not be controversial. What is unacceptable is allowing every election to be thrown into uncertainty by activist lawsuits, shifting deadlines, and lower-court reversals that leave voters wondering what district they are in, who is on the ballot, and when they are supposed to vote.”

The candidate also warned that voter turnout could suffer because of confusion surrounding the special election calendar.

“Confusion helps insiders. It hurts voters,” Matthews said. “When the rules are thrown into question in the middle of an election season, working families, farmers, small-business owners, and military households are the ones left trying to keep up. That is wrong. The people of Alabama should not have to hire a lawyer or follow federal court filings just to understand who represents them in Congress.”

Matthews served in multiple roles during President Donald Trump’s administration, including work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the White House Liaison’s Office, the Farm Service Agency, and Rural Development programs.

“I know rural Alabama because I was raised here, and I know Washington because I have worked there,” Matthews said. “That is exactly why I am running. District 2 needs a conservative who understands our communities, respects our way of life, and knows how to fight back when the political Left tries to use the courts to accomplish what they cannot win at the ballot box.”

Matthews is one of several Republicans who qualified for the August 11 special primary in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. The Alabama Republican Party confirmed earlier this month that there will be no runoff election under the special election schedule approved by State lawmakers.

“August 11th is not a normal election day, and turnout will matter,” Matthews said. “No matter how much confusion is created, the answer is simple: Alabama voters must show up. Do not let last-minute litigation silence your voice. Alabama belongs to Alabamians, and District 2 deserves a conservative fighter who will stand up for the people who keep this State running.”