ALGOP files SCOTUS brief in Alabama redistricting case: ‘Every voter deserves to be treated as an individual, not as part of a racial or ethnic group’

(ALGOP/Contributed, Sunira Moses/Wikimedia Commons, YHN)

The Alabama Republican Party says it is time to put an end to racial gerrymandering in the Yellowhammer State and across the country.

ALGOP Chairman John Wahl announced Wednesday that the Party has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the State of Alabama in the ongoing redistricting case Allen v. Milligan. The case is being heard by the Supreme Court this week.

“The Alabama Republican Party stands for equal opportunity, individual liberty, and the rule of law,” Wahl said. “Our brief explains that the courts should not confuse partisan outcomes with racial intent. Every voter deserves to be treated as an individual, not as part of a racial or ethnic group.”

The Party’s brief urges the Court to uphold Alabama’s 2023 congressional map and defend the constitutional principles of state authority in redistricting, race-neutral governance, and equal protection under the law.

“It was the Republican Party that fought to end slavery, passed the Civil Rights Acts, and stood for human dignity when the Democrat Party was enforcing segregation on African Americans,” Wahl added. “That legacy continues today. Republicans believe in the inherent worth of every individual and the right of every citizen to have an equal voice — without being divided or labeled by race. Unfortunately, it’s today’s Democratic Party that is trying to use racial divisions and Black voters as a political tool to gain more congressional seats.”

The U.S. Supreme Court also heard oral arguments in the Louisiana v. Callais case Wednesday, a blockbuster Voting Rights Act case that could reset the rules for drawing political maps, directly affecting Alabama’s ongoing and future redistricting battles.

“There are thousands of Black Republicans across Alabama, and they deserve a voice too,” Wahl continued. “The idea that the color of someone’s skin determines their political beliefs is wrong, disrespectful, and contrary to everything America stands for.”

The ALGOP brief warns that using the Voting Rights Act to manipulate racial demographics for partisan advantage undermines both civil rights progress and the democratic process America was founded on.

“Our Constitution gives states — not federal judges — the responsibility to draw congressional districts,” Wahl concluded. “When the courts start mandating Democrat districts to guarantee so-called race-based outcomes, they’re not promoting equality — they’re promoting division and inserting themselves into party politics. The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to reaffirm the timeless American ideal that every person is equal before the law.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee