Democrats and civil rights groups scored a major victory in June when the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that Alabama's congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act by failing to draw two Black-majority districts. But Allen v. Milligan's ultimate impact on the 2024 race for House control will depend on high-stakes lower court fights that have the potential to shake up maps in Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and more.
It's been a long time since the Deep South has assumed a prominent role in the battle for the House. But with Republicans clinging to a narrow 222-213 House majority, the prospect of even a handful of new Black-majority seats in the region could conceivably sway the outcome.
That national context helps explain why GOP legislatures continue to fight tooth and nail against federal court rulings invalidating their maps for diluting Black voting strength. In Alabama, Republicans are openly defying the Supreme Court ruling in hopes lower courts find their remedy acceptable. In Louisiana and Georgia, Republicans hope conservative appellate courts overturn unfavorable decisions expected from Obama-appointed federal
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