Alabama Republicans thought they had drawn a safe US House seat. A Black congressman had other ideas

The AP reports that Figures was elected in 2024 after a federal court ordered new districts, ruling that the Legislature had unlawfully diluted the voting power of Black residents.[1] The news agency says a Supreme Court decision weakening the Voting Rights Act "paved the way for drawing new lines."[1]According to the AP, the new map reduces the Black voting-age population in Figures' district from 48% to 40%[1], and Trump carried the area within the new district by 14 percentage points two years ago.[1]The AP reports that Figures has been rallying Black voters and also talking to voters deep in conservative territory, tugging at their concerns over rising prices of food, fuel and fertilizer.[2] Figures told a crowd in Montgomery: "We know that the deck has been stacked."[2]Citing AdImpact, the AP says TV ad spending in the district has gone from almost nothing to nearly $10 million in the past seven weeks[1], and that Democratic groups are outspending Republicans.His opponent, Trump-endorsed state lawmaker Rhett Marques, told the AP: "We have an opportunity to not only flip a seat from Democrat back to Republican here in Alabama"[3]. The AP reports that Marques said he is more aligned with "the Alabama values in this district."[3] Cory Booker said at a campaign stop with Figures: "I will not stay seated while you try to take away our power."[1]