House passes bill to allow a special election in Congressional Districts

May 6, 2026 – MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Legislature voted to pass controversial legislation that could potentially lead to a special election if the Supreme Court rules in the state's favor on Congressional Districting.

House Bill one (HB1) is sponsored by State Representative Chris Pringle (R-Mobile).

Governor Kay Ivey (R) called this first 2026 special legislative session following last week's U.S. Supreme Court landmark ruling in Louisiana v. Callais which ruled a congressional map in Louisiana with two majority Black districts was unconstitutional.

HB1 would allow the Governor, "To Hould special election in four districts," said Pringle. "If the Supreme Court lifts the injunction against it."

House Minority Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) slammed Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) who had made comments on Tuesday suggesting that Black voters would be better represented by Republican (presumably White) Congress members.

"I am not here to bring a sledgehammer to a gnat because that is what I think of him," said Daniels.

Daniels slammed Marshall again without naming him saying that he is in "Third place rather than first place," in Marshall's race for U.S. Senate.

Daniels went on to say that the state had signed an agreement not to challenge the injunction keeping the Legislature from redistricting Congress before the 2030 Census results meaning that the existing map would remain in place for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections.

"Are we in contempt as a state for coming into session?" said Daniels.

"We never said that we would not appeal the legal basis," said Pringle. "After Callais we believe that we have the right to appeal."

Daniels said, "You signed an agreement not to appeal."

Pringle said that the state never gave up its right to appeal the Miligan decision and had an appeal before the Supreme

Pringle explained that if his bill passes and if the Supreme Court ultimately lifts the injunction preventing the state from redistricting until after 2030 this would allow the state to hold special elections in four congressional districts: CD1, CD2, CD7, and CD6. Those districts are current represented by: Barry Moore (who is running for U.S. Senate), Shomari Figures, Terri Sewell, and Gary Palmer.

"We want to go back to the map that the legislature passed," said Pringle referring to the 2023 map passed by the Legislature in a special session and then rejected by a three-judge panel in Atlanta.

"I think this particular piece of legislation is going to drive us further apart," said Daniels. "It is all political theater."

Daniels threatened to organize White businesses in response to this bill.

"When you are trying to take representation from my community and the people I represent, I am going to take my dollars elsewhere," said Daniels. "If you thought the Target movement was something wait until you see this."

Rep. Adline Clark (D-Mobile) said, "As a Black voter I feel a deep state of betrayal."

"The freedom of vote is the most powerful tool that Alabamians have," said Clark. "I believe much of the reason we are in this situation is deliberate and intentional targeted voter suppression."

Clark lamented the low voter participation rate in the 2022 primaries.

"38.5% the lowest in 30 freaking years," said Clark. Clark predicted that if this passes voter turnout will further decrease.

"Our goal should be working towards 100% voter participation in every election," said Clark. "Voters should choose their politicians and not the other way around."

If the court grants the state the ability to redistrict, the state would revert to the 2023 map passed by the Legislature in the 2023 special session. In that session Pringle introduced his own map which would have created a more competitive CD2. That map was rejected by the Alabama Senate at the urging of Senator Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) who introduced his own map. The Livingston map was passed and signed by the Governor. The Livingston map was rejected by the three judge panel and is the map that the Legislature wants to revert to.

Rep. Christopher England (D-Tuscaloosa) said, "There is some irony here that a map that you refused to support" is what Pringle is now championing.

"Some bad lawyering got us here and the main protagonist in that is throwing Hail Marys all over the field," said England. "Alabama is on four years of probation. We are in contempt because we said that we were not going to do anything like this."

"The Supreme Court was very clear that the Callais decision does not overturn Milligan," added England. "That map that we passed was not just noncompliant it was super noncompliant."

"We have an appeal before the Supreme Court," said Pringle. "Nothing happens unless the court decides."

"I think we (Republicans) can run quality candidates and win all seven districts," said Pringle. "I have no control over the Supreme Court

"I have no control over the United States Supreme Court. I have no control over the three-judge panel," said Pringle. "My bill is about a special election to revert back to a map that was passed by the Legislature."

Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) objected to her native Mobile County being put in a district with Baldwinn County.

"I don't have a community of interest with Baldwin County," said Drummond. "Baldwin County is not in my DNA the Black Belt is in my DNA."

Rep. Prince Chestnutt (D-Selma) asked how Pringle made this map.

"I played no role in developing this map," said Pringle. "I did not participate in drawing the map at all. I carried the map the Senate sent us (in 2023). I was co-Chairman of the Committee which is why I carried the map."

Rep. Ontario Tillman (D-Birmingham) asked why we are here,

"We are putting a mechanism in place to hold a special election," said Pringle. "We have an appeal before the United States Supreme Court. We are waiting for the Supreme Court so we will be able to act if the ruling comes down in our favor."

Rep. Mary Moore (D-Birmingham) said, "There is no emergency. There is no urgency. There is no reason to be here."

"I request at this time to carry over this bill until such time that we have a ruling," said Moore.

Rep. Thomas Jackson (D-Thomasville) said, "It is about us having representation in this statehouse."

"I am here speaking for the people who sent me to represent them. I am speaking for the voiceless," said Jackson. "I am here fighting for the 46,000 people I represent in my district."

Rep. Juahdalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) said that this is, "The rollback of history" and accused Republicans of wanting "supreme power."

"It is whether the state of Alabama will once again stand on the wrong side of history," said Givan. "It is a calculated political maneuver born out of fear – fear of Black people, fear of Black people in power."

Givan cited a litany of injustices that this country perpetuated on Black Americans.

"The fight began in 1619 when the first Black people arrived on the shores of this country to be sold as chattel," said Givan.

"We are here to pass legislation that would eventually strip the power of Shomari Figures a Black man and strip the power of Terri Sewell – the first Black woman in Alabama elected to Congress," said Rep. Givan. "We are not going back."

Rep. Napoleon Bracy (D-Prichard) said that creating districts with 75 percent White voters would mean that Blacks cannot win.

"If I put 75 percent Blacks in your district, you would not win," said Bracy.

Rep. Barry Forte(D-Eufaula) said, "In 1982 I filed a lawsuit against the County Commission.

House Majority Leader Paul Lee (R-Dothan) brought a motion in writing to cloture debate after almost four hours and twenty minutes of debate.

The cloture motion passed on a 76 to 29 party line vote.

HB1 passed along a party line vote of 75 to 29 with one member abstaining.

Daniels told the Alabama Gazette, that under this the ruling from the Court must come down before August 29th in order for this to take effect. The special election will come six weeks after the order so this theoretical election could come as late as Tuesday, October 13.

Daniels complained that there will be no primary runoff election so whoever has the most votes in the primary wins – even if that person has below 50 percent.

Daniels predicted record voter turnout in November, because voters would be angry about their representation being taken away and high gas prices.

HB1 now goes to the Senate for their consideration.

The bill is being carried in the Alabama Senate by State Senator Chris Elliott (R-Josephine).

The Senate will go into session at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Wednesday is Day 3 of the 2026 first Alabama Special session.

The 2026 primary will continue on May 19 as planned. As of press time no ruling has come down from the Supreme Court.

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