A three-judge panel of judges has voted for the new map of the state’s congressional district which brings improvements to the state’s southernmost districts that include Covington County.
Prior to the selection of the map that was to be used, Covington County was in District 2, which is being represented by Barry Moore of Enterprise.
The new map Covington is now part of Houston, Dale, Henry, Coffee, and Geneva as counties that are new to Dist. 1. They join Escambia, Baldwin and a part of Mobile counties, which remain within the district. Dist. 1 is represented at present by Jerry Carl.
The judges’ panel chose from three maps proposed by a master specially appointed by the court following efforts by state legislators were not able to create a map that was deemed satisfactory by judges.
In the past, the three-judge Alabama court ruled that the map was likely to violate the Voting Rights Act, and in June, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed.
The new map was designed to offer Black voters with a reasonable chance to be elected in the least 2 districts. In the present, Alabama has one Black majority district, Dist. 7 that is administered by Democrat Terri Sewell. The district is still largely Black with the latest map of 51.9 percent.
According to the new map, Dist. 2 is regarded as the second-best possibility for Black candidates. Dist. 2 has seen the Black voter count was increased from 40 percent 48.7 percent. This new Dist. 2 will comprise of Pike, Barbour, Crenshaw, Conecuh, Monroe, Washington, Bullock, Macon, Russell, Montgomery, as well as a part from Mobile county.
The new district, Dist. 1 is home to 2 incumbent U.S. Representatives who reside within its bordersMoore and Carl. Carl as well as Moore.
The map was updated and made no modifications to Districts 3 4, 5,, with only minor changes were made to Districts 6 and 7.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall opposed all three maps that are being discussed by the panel, in part because they’re built on illegal gerrymandering. Marshall has said he will seek to appeal and seek an investigation in the case.
In the meantime Secretary of State Wes Allen said his office will begin faxing the new map for the 2024 election cycle.
“For many years, we’ve been component of the 2nd Congressional District,” stated Andalusia the Mayor Earl Johnson. “The district lines have previously been able to keep the entirety of what we know as the Wiregrass in one place. The new map places all of Alabama’s southernmost counties apart from Mobile County, which is separated in the new map in a single district. We now have two members in the U.S. House of Representatives (who are likely to run) against one another in 2024.
“These are very unique situations,” he said. “Congressman Barry Moore has maintained an office at Andalusia City Hall and his staff has been extremely accommodating to the local population. He has not yet decided whether he’ll seek an election in the district that was drawn recently.
“Congressman Jerry Carl, who currently is a member of AL1 has announced that he is running for re-election. Carl has been in constant contact with the community leaders of Covington County since it first appeared in the Special Session of the Alabama Legislature in the summer of this year that line would move, and Covington County would be in his district. He has contacted me personally, and I am satisfied to see him taking the time to be interested in everything happenings here.”
The article Covington County moves to District 1 on the new map of Congress for Alabama appeared at The Andalusia Star-News.
