State Senate Districts 25 and 26 can now be held “using fairly drawn maps” after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to allow for the use of the 2021 Alabama-drawn State Senate map, according to State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman).
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco on Thursday that barred Alabama from using a State Senate map passed by the legislature in 2021.
“From day one, we have stood by the constitutionality of the State Senate maps that were drawn and passed by the Legislature in 2021, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals should be commended for finally seeing the light,” Gudger said. “The upcoming elections in Senate District 25 and 26 can now be held using fairly drawn maps that are firmly rooted in common sense and prioritize reason over race. It is unfortunate that activist plaintiffs forced the state to waste so much time, effort, and legal fees in order to end up exactly where we started.”
Following the recent special session and the victory at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Ivey is now taking the next step by calling a special primary election for the affected State Senate districts, 25 and 26. Those two districts are currently represented by State Sens. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) and Kirk Hatcher (D-Montgomery).
Ivey set the special primary election for Tuesday, August 11. There will be no runoff election. The general election will occur as planned with all other races on Tuesday, November 3. The deadline for qualifying with major political parties will be at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The deadline for qualifying with all independent and minor political parties will be Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Now that Ivey has called a special primary election, the May 19 primary election results for State Senate Districts 25 and 26 are now void.
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