The creation of a Democratic-leaning congressional district in Alabama has drawn a sprawling field of candidates as Democrats eye a rare opportunity in the deep red state to flip a Republican seat in the battle for control of the House of Representatives.
The new district, created by court order, is viewed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Democrats looking to win higher office in a state where Republicans currently dominate statewide positions. The outcome of the Alabama race, with control of the U.S. House of Representatives on the line, will be closely watched. And with ongoing court challenges to congressional maps in Georgia, Louisiana and elsewhere, some hope the Alabama race will be a harbinger of Democrats making inroads in the Deep South.
Federal judges last month selected new congressional lines for Alabama after ruling the state had illegally diluted the voting power of Black residents. The revamped Congressional District 2, which was designed to boost the voting power of Black residents, has a voting-age population that is 48.7% Black, giving the district a decidedly Democratic tilt. Twenty-one candidates — 13 Democrats and eight Republicans — have filed papers to run for Congress in the district.
“Democrats are the strong favorite here, but you need a good candidate, you need to take it seriously. You can’t take anything for granted,” said Zac McCrary, a pollster who has worked for high-profile Democratic campaigns.
The three-judge panel ruled that Alabama’s prior map — only one of whose seven districts was majority-Black — likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act. The three-judge panel, in selecting the new map, said the state, which is 27% Black, should have two districts where Black voters are the majority or close to it, so that they have an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.
“Alabama’s long-awaited Congressional map means the state’s Black citizens — who have been denied…
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