Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., said on Thursday that the Supreme Court made the right call by allowing Alabama to redraw its congressional map, stating the decision restores the constitutional role of state lawmakers and keeps districts focused on “communities of interest” instead of race.
In an interview, Moore emphasized the ruling’s significance not only for Alabama but also for Republican-led states nationwide that have battled redistricting lawsuits for years.
“I think it’s a good decision,” Moore said. “If you look up the northeast coast, the Democratic states for years have used gerrymandering. They’re leading the way on drawing districts so they can gain power.”
Moore noted the Supreme Court’s decision enables Alabama to move forward with maps approved by the state legislature rather than court-shaped maps.
“As a red state, the Supreme Court allowed us to move forward and actually use the districts drawn by our legislative body, which is the way the Constitution requires it,” he said. “It’s good for the state, it’s good for the nation, and, certainly, the red states across the country we need to have a voice in the process in Washington, D.C.”
The congressman argued that redistricting should prioritize voters with shared economic and regional interests over racial divisions.
“We have to basically go out and work aggressively to make sure that we have communities of interest, districts drawn based on communities of interest and not divided by race,” he said. “And that’s been the thing with the left. They’ve been trying to divide the country. They’ve been dividing these districts.”
Moore added Republicans are pushing to “eliminate race” from the process and return to maps rooted in geography and shared priorities.
“Let’s eliminate race,” he said. “Let’s get communities of interest back into the process. And hopefully we’ll get a 7-0 map in Alabama.”
Moore rejected criticism from Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who warned the ruling could reduce opportunities for Black representation in Alabama.
“I was the one that was actually drawn out of my district when they sued,” Moore said. “And it was an [former Obama Attorney General] Eric Holder move. They sued all the red states – none of the blue states got sued, oddly enough – and they kept drawing districts.”
Moore cited Virginia as a recent example of what he described as partisan redistricting benefiting Democrats.
“What we saw in Virginia, where they literally took a six Democrat, five Republican state and turned it into a 10 and one,” he said.
Moore also expressed confidence in his campaign to replace Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor, stating President Donald Trump’s endorsement has energized voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary.
“We’re feeling really good,” Moore said. “Actually, the president polls at 84% in ruby red Alabama, so we’re excited to get his endorsement.”
