We can’t put the cart before the horse

From the Alabama Democratic Party

We've got some good news:

A three-judge federal panel blocked Alabama Republicans' gerrymandered congressional map from taking effect. The ruling was unambiguous: the MAGA-drawn districts "intentionally discriminated based on race in violation of the Constitution." The court said it couldn't require Alabamians to cast their votes under a map "tainted by intentional race-based discrimination."

Two of those three judges were appointed by Donald Trump. And they still ruled against Alabama Republicans. That's how blatant this gerrymandering was.

This means Alabama heads into November using the court-ordered maps under which Shomari Figures won his seat in 2024. It's a real victory for democracy, for Black voters, and for everyone who marched, organized, and fought back against this MAGA power grab.

We should feel good about this. But we also need to remain focused...

Because here's the reality: Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has already vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court. The same Supreme Court that gutted the Voting Rights Act last month. The same six conservatives who've been systematically dismantling civil rights protections for years. This fight is far from over — it's heading right back to the justices who started this mess.

We can't put the cart before the horse. We can't celebrate a court victory and lose the organizing battle. We can't win in the courts and then fail to turn out voters in November because we ran out of resources.

The gerrymandering fight showed us something important: when we organize, when thousands show up to march, when donors across the country rally to our cause, we can win. But the moment we exhale is the moment they make their next move.

Stay ready. Stay organized. Stay with us.

Alabama Democrats