Lieutenant Governor candidate John Wahl calls for state to be prepared to redistrict congressional seats

John Wahl urges state to be ready to call special session on Congressional maps after Supreme Court Ruling

April 29, 2026 - ATHENS, Ala. - Lieutenant Governor candidate and former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said that today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Louisiana's 2024 congressional map is a major victory for Alabama, and a clear signal that the state must be ready to act.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the lower court's controversial decision to require the state of Louisiana to create a second majority-Black congressional district unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that racial gerrymandering like what the federal court did to Alabama in 2023 is unconstitutional. The 6 to 3 decision (with the three liberal justices dissenting) redefines the case law around a provision of the controversial Voting Rights Act of 1965 which has been used by civil rights groups to force legislatures to create new majority-minority districts.

"That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander, and its use would violate the plaintiffs' constitutional rights," Justice Sam Alito wrote of the Louisiana map.

The decision impacts congressional districts but also state legislature, state school board, county commission, county school board, and municipal districts.

"For years, Democrats have weaponized the Voting Rights Act to control states like Alabama through the activist federal courts," Wahl said. "Today, the Supreme Court took an important step toward ending that abuse and restoring constitutional balance to our redistricting process."

While he was the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, Wahl played a part in multiple briefs filed with the Supreme Court on redistricting, including a brief filed regarding the Louisiana case.

"As Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, I was actively involved in multiple briefs before the Supreme Court, including the Louisiana case," said Wahl. "I've spent years fighting for equal treatment under the law. Our legal argument in this case was simple-it is unfair when Democrat-controlled states are allowed to draw maps that benefit their political power, while Republican states like Alabama and Louisiana are held back by activist courts hiding behind false claims of racism. That double standard has to end. Alabama deserves equal treatment under the Constitution."

Wahl said that many of the injustices that led Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act stemmed from discrimination against Black voters by members of the Democratic Party, while emphasizing that Republicans have long stood for civil rights and equal treatment under the law.

"The Democratic Party has a long and troubling history with racism, and today they continue that legacy by using minority communities as a tool to advance their political power," Wahl said. "That's not justice-it's exploitation, and it needs to stop. There are thousands of Black Republicans across Alabama who are ignored by this narrative, and they deserve to have their voices heard."

"Race should never be the deciding factor in how districts are drawn," said Wahl. "The answer to racism is not more division-it's treating every individual as a child of God, with dignity and equal worth."

Governor Kay Ivey (R) applauded the decision.

"I applaud the Supreme Court's decision today in Louisiana v. Callais," said Governor Ivey. "While I am encouraged by this decision, it does not yet resolve our ongoing redistricting fight over Alabama's congressional map. For too long, federal courts forced states like Alabama into a no-win situation at the hands of activists who want us to draw maps that discriminate against our own citizens based on race. As the Supreme Court rightly recognized, the Alabama of today is not the Alabama of the past, and we are proud of our progress."

Governor Ivey said that the state is not ready to call a special session.

"Litigation surrounding Alabama's congressional districts is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, and Alabama is currently under a court order prohibiting the use of new congressional districts until after the 2030 census," said Ivey. "While we are not in position to have a special session at this time, I hope in light of this new decision, the court is favorable to Alabama."

Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Barry Moore (R-AL02) has also called for the state to redistrict the congressional districts this year.

Wahl also urged Alabama leaders to act.

"Alabama must be ready to move immediately," Wahl said. "The moment this ruling is applied to Alabama, we should be prepared to convene a special session and redraw our congressional maps. Democrat states across the county are already using redistricting to expand their power, and Alabama cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. We have a duty to act and ensure that Alabama voter's are fully and fairly represented in the U.S. House."

The Republican primary is on May 19.

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