Following a federal appeals court's blocking of a 6-1 Republican congressional map passed by Alabama legislators in 2023, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) strongly criticized the preliminary injunction, calling it a "politically motivated attempt to weaponize the judicial system."
RELATED: Federal court blocks Alabama 6-1 map despite SCOTUS ruling
"Yet again, the three-judge panel has decided to force a racially gerrymandered, court-drawn Congressional Map upon the people of Alabama," said Ledbetter. "As disappointing as this decision is, it is ultimately unsurprising given their long track record of siding with liberal plaintiffs and handing Democrats congressional victories in the courtroom. Elections should be decided by voters at the ballot box, not activist judges who believe they know better than the people they were appointed to serve."
"I believe this decision is blatantly in violation of the Supreme Court's ruling in Callais v. Louisiana and will not stand once it is presented before a higher court."
Added Ledbetter, "This is nothing more than a politically motivated attempt to weaponize the judicial system for partisan gain, and Alabama has every intention of taking this to the Supreme Court and fighting back."
Three activist judges are trying to silence the voices of over 5 million Alabamians. We look forward to seeing what SCOTUS has to say about that.
— Nathaniel Ledbetter (@RepLedbetter) May 26, 2026
Full statement below:
“Yet again, the three-judge panel has decided to force a racially gerrymandered, court-drawn Congressional…
The aforementioned court consists of U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus, District Judge Anna Manasco and District Judge Terry Moorer.
The NAACP and ACLU lobbied the court for a 5-2 Republican map that was court-ordered and used in the 2024 election and would be used in the 2026 election.
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