President Donald Trump’s efforts in reshaping legislative districts are actively taking place in states like Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri, which has resulted in Republicans gaining twelve additional seats in the House.
The prospects for Alabama and other Deep South states like Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina to join this initiative remain uncertain. That could change depending on an upcoming ruling by the Supreme Court in the case of Louisiana vs. Frey, which could potentially shift seven more seats to the GOP’s advantage by interpreting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in a new light.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits any action that would “deny or exclude the right of U.S. citizens to vote based on race or color,” or limit specific racial groups’ opportunities to engage in the political process and elect their chosen representatives.
This legislative measure aimed to rectify the injustices of Jim Crow laws, but the Supreme Court has since expanded its implications significantly beyond the law’s initial intent.
The 1986 ruling in Thornburg v. Gingles established that a state could violate Section 2 if it created electoral districts that diluted black voting rights, even if individuals could vote freely. This has led to the establishment of majority districts, including Alabama’s second and seventh legislative districts, which appear now to be racially influenced.
Yet some Republican lawmakers in Montgomery argue that these districts are more about political maneuvering than race. After all, Democrats typically secure over 90% of the Black vote, which may reflect political affiliations rather than racial biases.
Majority districts, however, don’t guarantee equal rights; instead, they create advantages based on race, often benefiting Democrats. In contrast, Republicans in traditionally blue regions like New England lack such safeguards to maintain their influence. In the 2024 House elections, for instance, Democrats captured nearly 40% of the votes in the Deep South, while Republicans garnered just under 35% in New England.
Interestingly, the electoral realities differed starkly; Republicans got none of New England’s 23 House districts, while Southern Democrats secured 12 of 38 seats, largely due to those majority-minority districts.
This disparity creates an imbalance in the House of Representatives, which could have significant political ramifications.
The 117th Congress, which commenced on January 3, 2021, was predominantly Democrat, with 222 members.
If Southern Republicans had the leeway to draft district maps as freely as their counterparts in blue states, they could have retained at least six more seats, aligning the House more with their interests.
The absence of a truly fair representation system doesn’t hint at a rescue plan for Americans. The controversial $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed in March 2021 without any Republican support and was aimed at stimulating communities during urgent times, but at what cost?
This funding came with significant repercussions. Inflation began rising right as Biden assumed office, going from 1.4% in January 2021 to an alarming 9.1% by June 2022.
Biden’s administration seemed to deflect criticism, focusing instead on Trump’s legacy, corporate greed, and external conflicts, while the Justice Department went after Visa, alleging monopoly practices. Critics across party lines viewed this lawsuit as little more than a partisan strategy.
The data ultimately highlights that about 42% of recent inflation spikes are linked to federal spending—a number significantly higher than any other contributing factors. Under Biden, prices soared by 20%, which translated to an extra $17,000 burden on the average family annually.
Since Trump took office, wages have increased while inflation remained manageable, but reversing the effects of Biden’s policies will be a daunting challenge, particularly amidst the outdated requirement for drawing mid-majority districts.
Partisan gerrymandering, while a frustrating aspect of politics, is still a part of the system. If it remains, both blue and red states should have the same freedoms to engage in it. However, the federal bias toward Democratic interests in districting over the last four decades has had detrimental effects on the nation.
With a ruling in Louisiana vs. Frey, there’s potential to overturn previous decisions, which could finally address the longstanding issues of injustice in districting practices.
State Rep. Kelly “Bubba” Underwood (R-Tuscumbia) has represented District 3 in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2022.
