With Governor Ivey calling a special session and a Supreme Court ruling reshaping the legal landscape, Trucking endorsed candidates Jay Mitchell and Wes Allen are offering strong opinions on the redistricting debate in Alabama.
Alabama’s congressional map fight moved quickly this week. Governor Kay Ivey called the Legislature back to Montgomery for a special session after the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais limiting the consideration of race when drawing congressional districts.
Into that debate stepped Jay Mitchell, the Alabama Trucking-endorsed candidate for Alabama Attorney General and Wes Allen, the Alabama Trucking-endorsed candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
Redistricting Background
Alabama’s current congressional map, which includes two Democrat-held seats, is the result of Voting Rights Act litigation from 2023. A court ruled that year that Alabama could not alter its map again before 2030, the year of the next census.
Republican leaders now hope the Callais ruling weakens the legal reasoning behind that court-ordered map. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and current Secretary of State Wes Allen filed emergency motions with the Supreme Court asking for quick review so that Alabama can have the same opportunity as other states to use its 2023-passed congressional map, free of an injunction they argue cannot be reconciled with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Not everyone agrees with that interpretation. Rep. Shomari Figures, who won his seat in 2024 after litigation led to the creation of a second majority-Black district, said “the state is essentially asking the courts to close their eyes and forget what they already saw,” adding that three Republican-appointed judges had unanimously found Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters when drawing its post-2020 census maps.
Allen Moved First
Before Ivey called the special session, Secretary of State Wes Allen was already taking action at the Supreme Court. Allen filed emergency motions seeking to lift injunctions on three Alabama redistricting cases — Allen v. Singleton, Allen v. Milligan, and Allen v. Caster. WSFA 12 News
I have taken the legal measures necessary to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take quick and decisive action which will allow Alabama to pursue congressional maps that reflect the will of the people.” – Wes Allen
Allen, who serves as the named appellant in Alabama’s redistricting case, framed the issue as one of self-governance. “As the appellant in Alabama’s redistricting case, I have taken the legal measures necessary to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take quick and decisive action which will allow Alabama to pursue congressional maps that reflect the will of the people,” Allen said. He added that it is his hope that “the days of court appointed mapmakers will be behind us.” Washington Digest Alabama Secretary of State
Allen also confirmed that Alabama’s May 19 primary election remains ongoing as planned while the state waits to see how the Supreme Court responds to the emergency motions. WSFA 12 News
Mitchell releases new Op-Ed
Mitchell used his op-ed to call for immediate action, arguing the legal window created by Callais must not be wasted. Writing in Yellowhammer News, Mitchell stated that Alabama must “draw a race-neutral congressional map that will send seven conservative Alabama leaders to the House of Representatives.” yellowhammernews
“draw a race-neutral congressional map that will send seven conservative Alabama leaders to the House of Representatives.” – Jay Mitchell
He is calling for swift action the moment courts allow it. The special session Ivey announced moves in that direction. The session will include legislation setting a special primary election for the specific districts impacted by the court order, primarily the 1st, 2nd, and 7th congressional districts, should the court allow Alabama to revert to its 2023 map. Ivey said she expects the session to last no more than five days.
The Stakes for Congress
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and Senate Pro Tem Garlan Gudger framed the special session in explicitly political terms, saying “control of the U.S. House of Representatives could come down to just a handful of seats” and that the Legislature had a responsibility to give Alabama “a fighting chance to send seven Republican members to Congress.”
That’s relevant context for Alabama’s trucking industry. Congressional representation shapes federal policy on infrastructure investment, transportation regulation, and the broader business climate that carriers across the state depend on.
The redistricting fight is fast-moving and legally unsettled — with a primary already less than three weeks away and absentee voting already underway. How it resolves will be worth watching closely.
This article draws on reporting from Alabama Daily News, WSFA 12 News, Washington Digest, and Jay Mitchell’s op-ed published May 1, 2026 in Yellowhammer News. Mitchell and Wes Allen are endorsed by TRUK PAC, the political action committee of the Alabama Trucking Association.
