Stories

Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

Jun 3, 2026

Supreme Court Allows Alabama to Use GOP-Drawn Map That Eliminates Majority-Black District

In a 6-3 ruling on June 3, 2026, the Supreme Court reversed a lower-court block and cleared Alabama to use its 2023 Republican-drawn congressional map for the 2026 midterms — a map three Republican-appointed judges had previously found to be the product of intentional racial discrimination. The ruling effectively eliminates the majority-Black 2nd congressional district won by Democrat Shomari Figures in 2024, giving Republicans an opportunity to reclaim the seat. Justice Sotomayor dissented sharply, writing that the majority "debases the democratic process." The decision has already been seen as an extension of the Court's 2023 Allen v. Milligan ruling's erosion and a signal to other states engaged in racial gerrymandering fights.

“There will be a free and fair election in November. Republicans and President Trump are engaged in a desperate power grab by redrawing congressional maps in order to bolster their attempts to hold onto the House majority.”
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) · Jun 3, 2026

Federal Judge Allows Trump's Mail-In Voting Executive Order to Stand

On May 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols — a Trump appointee in Washington, D.C. — declined to temporarily block President Trump's March 31 executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to build citizenship lists for mail ballot eligibility. Nichols ruled it was premature to block the order because it has not yet been implemented. The executive order directs DHS to compile lists of confirmed adult U.S. citizens in each state, with the U.S. Postal Service then delivering mail ballots only to verified citizens. Democrats and voting rights groups sued immediately, arguing the order risks disenfranchising millions of lawfully registered voters because the underlying data can be outdated or contain errors. A parallel legal challenge filed by a coalition of Democratic-led states is pending before U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, who was scheduled to hear arguments June 2. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led Democratic condemnation of both the order and the ruling.

“Trump's strategy is simple: if he can't win voters, he'll silence them — and now a MAGA judge is enabling him.”
Chuck Schumer (D-NY) · May 28, 2026

South Carolina Senate Rejects Trump's Redistricting Push, Saving Clyburn's Seat

On May 26, 2026, the South Carolina state Senate rejected President Trump's push to redraw congressional maps before the midterm elections, preserving Rep. Jim Clyburn's majority-Black district. Twelve Republican state senators joined Democrats to defeat cloture on a special session called by Gov. Henry McMaster, citing that early voting had already begun with record turnout. The failed redistricting attempt would have dismantled Clyburn's 6th district — held by the longtime Democratic congressman for over three decades — in an attempt to give Republicans an additional House seat ahead of the midterms. Republican state senators who broke ranks cited concerns about the rushed timeline, the fact that voters were already casting ballots, and the outsized role of Washington consultants in driving the process. The outcome was a significant bipartisan rebuke of Trump's aggressive redistricting campaign, and leaves more than a dozen Congressional Black Caucus members' districts potentially vulnerable in other states where similar efforts continue.

“We have someone in the White House that wants Republicans to ignore the Constitutional principles for which this current map was drawn. A critical number of Republicans did not believe in putting a man over the law.”
Jim Clyburn (D-SC) · May 26, 2026