BIRMINGHAM, AL — Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Senator Doug Jones released the following statement in response to today’s Supreme Court decision weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais is a catastrophic setback to voting rights in this country and, in all but name, a death sentence to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Section 2 was one of the strongest protections against racial discrimination in redistricting, protecting Black voters and minority communities from being intentionally silenced through gerrymandered maps. It was not a given; it was won through the blood, sacrifice, and the sheer determination of Black Americans who fought to make this democracy live up to its promise.

Without the protections of the Voting Rights Act, this decision gives Republicans cover to weaken Black voting power while hiding behind the excuse of partisan politics. 

Only three years ago, in Allen v. Milligan, this Supreme Court ruled Alabama’s congressional map unlawfully diluted Black voting power and required a second Black opportunity district in a state that is nearly 27 percent Black. Now, the Callais decision gives Alabama Republicans a chance to undo that progress. All Black elected officials, whether Congresswoman Sewell, Congressman Figures, or any of our state representatives, are now at risk of their districts being redrawn.  

The effects will no doubt reach beyond congressional maps. In the coming years, I expect our Republican supermajority in Montgomery to use this ruling as a green light to draw maps that silence Black voters and preserve their grip on power at any cost.

Today is a sad day in the history of our 250-year-old republic. Elections are how we got here, and elections are how we will fight against this. State leadership matters now more than ever. Breaking one-party rule in Alabama will help us preserve what generations fought to build.”