Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville expressed uncertainty Tuesday about whether the state's latest congressional redistricting plan will ultimately take effect, just over a week after the Supreme Court cleared the way for new maps that Republicans say better reflect the state's political makeup.
The Republican senator, who is running for governor, told reporters he had not examined the proposal closely. "I'm not so sure it's going to go through. I haven't looked at it that much," Tuberville said. He added that the matter now rests with the courts, comparing judges to "referees at the football game" who are responsible for keeping things fair.
The redrawn map would eliminate one of Alabama's two majority-Black districts and return to boundaries first approved by the Legislature in 2023. Those lines had been blocked earlier amid claims they diluted Black voting power, but the Supreme Court lifted the injunction in recent days.
Tuberville's communications director, Mallory Jaspers, later clarified the senator's position in an emailed statement to AL.com. She said Tuberville is "100 percent supportive of redistricting as he believes the new districts will more accurately reflect Alabama's politics and values." Jaspers did not immediately respond to additional questions about how the changes would affect residents ahead of upcoming elections.
Election officials across Alabama collected votes for four House races on Tuesday, though those ballots will not be counted because of the redistricting. Voters are instead scheduled to return Aug. 11 for a special primary election conducted under the new district lines. Other statewide and local races on the ballot will proceed normally based on Tuesday's results.
Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures criticized the map, arguing it reverses recent gains in minority representation. "This sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and 60s in terms of Black political representation in the state," Figures said. He noted that the Supreme Court did not dismiss the underlying case, meaning litigation is expected to continue.
Figures expressed hope that three Republican-appointed judges who previously reviewed the maps would again rule against them. "My hope is that this is a temporary setback and that three Republican-appointed judges will again find what they found the first time: that the State of Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters in drawing its congressional district lines," he said.
The back-and-forth comes as Alabama prepares for a series of special elections triggered by the court-ordered changes. Lawmakers had drawn the 2023 map after the 2020 census, but federal judges found it likely violated the Voting Rights Act by packing Black voters into a single district while spreading others across majority-white areas.
Supporters of the current plan maintain that it complies with constitutional requirements and accounts for population shifts without relying on race as the predominant factor. They point to the Supreme Court's recent decision as validation that the maps can stand while legal challenges play out.
Opponents, including civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, contend the boundaries still suppress minority influence in a state where Black residents make up roughly 27 percent of the population. They have vowed to pursue further court action and possibly seek additional majority-minority districts.
Tuberville's comments mark a rare note of caution from a prominent state Republican on an issue the party has largely championed. His remarks came during a stop on the campaign trail as he seeks the GOP nomination for governor in 2026.
State election officials have urged voters to confirm their new polling locations before the Aug. 11 special primary. Ballots for that contest will be limited to the four congressional districts affected by the redistricting.
Legal experts say the case could return to lower courts for further hearings on whether the maps meet federal standards. Any final resolution may not come until after the special elections are held.