Alabama redistricting is “a political war,” Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Wahl said Thursday, arguing that Republican-led states have no choice but to answer Democratic mapmaking tactics with aggressive lines of their own.

During an interview with FM Talk 106.5’s Jeff Poor, Wahl was asked whether Alabama Republicans risk overreaching by pushing for a more aggressive congressional map.

“I think we have to,” Wahl said. “This is not, for me, it’s not a risk. I think the Republicans in Republican states have to respond in kind.”

Wahl said Democratic-controlled states have already used redistricting to maximize their own political advantage and leave Republicans with little representation.

“Would it be nice if we had respectful Democrats who treated Republicans with respect and gave them some districts in Massachusetts? Absolutely,” Wahl said. “That went out the window 30, 40 years ago. There is no respect from the Democrats. There is no attempt to hold an olive branch to Republicans or to give any kind of concession.”

He said Republicans cannot approach the map fight with one-sided restraint.

“This is a political war. You cannot look at this as fun and games,” Wahl said. “You can’t look into this as, oh, we should let the Democrats have a district. No, they would never do the same in return for Republicans.”

Wahl said states like Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee should take the same approach Democrats have taken elsewhere.

“You cannot leave a weapon unused in a battle,” Wahl said. “And make no mistake, the Democrats are playing for keeps, and they will use anything against Republicans, and we have to wake up and do the same to them.”

Alabama’s congressional map has been tied up in federal litigation since 2021 through cases including Allen v. Milligan and Allen v. Caster.

The legal fight sharpened again this year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which reopened questions over how far Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act reaches in congressional redistricting cases.

Attorney General Steve Marshall has since pushed the state’s position through emergency filings, arguing Alabama should be allowed to use its Legislature-approved map.

Wahl said Republican states redrawing lines now are operating from a different position than Democratic states that drew favorable maps years ago.

“That’s because the Republican states who are redistricting are states who have been bound by federal courts for 30 years,” Wahl said. “These are not natural districts. It’s not the same situations where Democrats have been gerrymandering districts for who knows how long. My entire lifetime.”

He pointed to Massachusetts as his regular example.

“Massachusetts has a very similar Republican-Democrat split to Alabama, just the opposite direction,” Wahl said. “It’s about 60-40 Democrat. They don’t have a single Republican district. They have nine congressional seats, not a single Republican, because they redistricted long, long ago and took out every Republican seat.”

The lieutenant governor presides over the Alabama Senate, giving the office a direct role in the legislative chamber if lawmakers return to redistricting.

Wahl also warned Republicans against dismissing Democratic energy heading into November.

“The Democrat base is energized, and it’s not about anything here in Alabama,” Wahl said. “This is about national politics. They hate Donald Trump. They hate what’s happening there.”

He said midterm elections often turn on intensity and turnout rather than a major shift in voter opinion.

“Midterm elections always have lower turnout, and it’s the side that’s more engaged that carries the day in a midterm election,” Wahl said.

Asked where the general election fight will be decided, Wahl pointed to local races, especially in Mobile County.

“The battlefield is going to be over those local races, whether it’s state House races, state Senate seats, a lot of county commission, county school board,” Wahl said. “These races are the races that really decide local control, especially areas like Mobile County.”

Wahl served as chairman of the Alabama Republican Party from 2021 until January, when he resigned to qualify for lieutenant governor following President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

He won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in the June 16 runoff and faces Democratic nominee Phillip Ensler in November.

Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].