Tuberville visits Ledbetter during debate on key redistricting bill

May 6, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville visited the Alabama Statehouse in early May 2026 to show support for state Republican leaders during a high-stakes special session focused on redistricting. Tuberville met with House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) as state lawmakers moved forward with plans to redraw congressional maps in a special session. Ledbetter, who has endorsed Tuberville in his 2026 gubernatorial bid, welcomed the Senator's presence as a sign of unity between federal and state leadership in tackling the contentious redistricting process. Supporting the Special Session Tuberville, currently running for Governor of Alabama, visited Montgomery during the week of May 4, 2026, to bolster efforts aimed at reversing previous court-drawn maps.

"Great to have my friend and Alabama's next governor, Senator Tommy Tuberville stop by," Speaker Ledbetter posted on social media. "No one understands the importance of this Special Session better than him, and our House Republicans appreciate his support".

In a recent op-ed, Tuberville expressed strong support for the special session, arguing that Alabama should no longer allow federal courts to dictate local election maps. "Speaker Ledbetter and our Legislative leadership have a big job in front of them. And they've got my full support," Tuberville wrote.

Redrawing the Maps

On Monday, the Alabama Legislature convened for a special session to address congressional maps following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act. Republican leaders, including Ledbetter, have expressed their intention to create a map that increases the likelihood of sending a strong Republican majority to Congress, despite a current federal injunction in place until 2030.Ledbetter noted that the proposed redrawn map could make districts, including that of U.S. Representatives Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) and Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham), more competitive for Republicans. A Tight Political Alliance The visit highlights the close partnership between Tuberville and Ledbetter, who previously helped lead Tuberville's successful 2020 U.S. Senate campaign. In addition to the redistricting efforts, the pair have recently collaborated on initiatives to close Alabama's party primaries, a move they argue will protect the integrity of the state's Republican contests. That measure passed in the House of Representatives but faltered in the Alabama Senate which did not vote on the measure. Ledbetter has strongly endorsed Tuberville for Governor, citing his "unapologetically conservative" record as a key reason for his support.

The 2026 Alabama Republican gubernatorial primary is set for May 19, 2026. The Congressional primary will continue as planned - but if the states gets a favorable outcome to its long- delayed appeal of the court ordered redistricting in 2023 before August 29th the Governor will be able to nullify the results of the primaries in congressional districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 and call a new special primary based on the 2023 congressional districts map that the court rejected.

(Brandon Moseley contributed to this report.)