The fallout from a three-judge federal court decision released earlier this week blocking the implementation of the congressional redistricting map passed by the Alabama Legislature in a special session last year has not yet been fully realized.
However, it is beginning to have a ripple effect, shaping how the 2022 election cycle could play out.
During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) reacted to the federal judges’ decision.
He said it caught them off guard, but he also warned it could jeopardize Democrats having any of Alabama’s congressional seats.
“The federal court’s decision … it stunned us,” he said. “We had no idea. You’ve got two appointees from Trump and one from Obama. For them to do that — this doesn’t make much political sense. I tell you, if I was the Democrat Party, who was one of the instigators pushing this — I would be very concerned because now you’re going to get two districts, instead of being 70% minority, they’re going to wind up being somewhere around 51-52%. In this election cycle, 2022 — you’re going to have a red wave. You’re going to have Republicans that have probably not voted in years to turn out and vote because it’s not going to turn out the vote for the Democrat side.”
“I think they’ve shot themselves in the foot with this one,” Carl continued. “I don’t get it. I mean population-wise, minority-wise, percentage-wise, it is less now than it was in 2010. But they always file these lawsuits. It’s just something that always comes up.”
Carl also said the decision was forcing his reelection campaign to rethink its strategy, adding it could set up a match-up between him and incumbent AL-2 U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise).
“We were surprised, needless to say,” he added. “Today, we are changing our strategy, our campaign strategy. We’re actually moving around, getting some stuff realigned just in case our lines do get redrawn, and we have to run against probably Barry Moore. You know, Barry and I are very close friends, but it is what it is if we have to run against one another.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.
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