Alabama's Unprecedented No-Runoff Congressional Primary Caps Chaotic Redistricting Battle
In a historic conclusion to one of the most chaotic primary seasons in state history, Alabama held an unprecedented special congressional primary election on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The special primary was called by Governor Kay Ivey after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the state's court-ordered map and allowed Alabama to proceed under its 2023 Legislature-approved, GOP-favorable map1.
In the newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District, Trump-endorsed Republican Rhett Marques won the Republican nomination, defeating five other candidates in a rare no-runoff contest. Under the new map, the district's boundaries have been shifted significantly, including moving incumbent Democratic Representative Shomari Figures' hometown of Mobile into the heavily Republican 1st District. Shomari Figures ran uncontested in the Democratic special primary.
The general election match-up between Rhett Marques and Shomari Figures on November 3, 2026, is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched congressional races in the country, with control of the U.S. House of Representatives potentially hanging in the balance. Figures has expressed confidence, stating:
"My opponent would be just another rubber stamp on the same policies that are making life more expensive for the people right here in Alabama."
Marques and the GOP are hoping to use the new map to regain the District 2 seat they lost in 2024 to Figures. Meanwhile, in the 1st Congressional District, former Republican Representative Jerry Carl easily won a four-candidate primary, taking a major step toward returning to Congress.
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An instance of No race-conscious voting district can survive a challenge under the Callais precedent. — The Supreme Court vacated Alabama's race-conscious, court-ordered voting map in favor of a legislature-approved map that favored the GOP. ↩︎