Alabama
| Redistricting Process: Legislative | Population Change (since 2000): 332,636 |
| Legislature: Republican | Seats: 7 |
| Governor: Robert Bentley (R) | Members of Congress: 6R, 1D |
| Party Control: Republican | 2012: 38.4% Obama, 60.7% Romney |
Map Instructions:
Three maps are available for each state. Each has new district outlines in bold.
Click on each district on the map to see more information.
Click the arrow button to switch between districts that are close together.
New Districts by Party Representation
Redistricting Analysis: Alabama Holds Steady at Seven Seats
2010 Redistricting Changes:
Old Districts by Party Representation
Old Districts by Partisan Voting Index with New District Outlines
Between 2000 and 2010, Alabama’s population grew by 7.5%, or 332,636 people, compared to national growth of 9.7%. Alabama’s growth since 2000 has been largely concentrated in the four cities with over 100,000 people – Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, and Huntsville. Alabama has also experienced a noticeable rural flight, with urban counties experiencing upwards of 20% population increases, as rural counties each lose over 10% of their populations. Shelby, St. Clair, Baldwin, Autauga, and Limestone counties all have had population increases of over 25%.
The Redistricting Process
The Alabama Legislative Committee on Reapportionment (ALCR) is responsible for redistricting. The ALCR is usually made up of six members, three from the Alabama State Senate (appointed by the Lieutenant Governor) and three from the Alabama House of Representatives (appointed by the Speaker of the House). However, in redistricting years, the Committee includes one member of the Alabama House of Representatives and the state senate from each congressional district, four at-large members from the Alabama House appointed by the Speaker of the House, and four at-large members from the state senate appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. In 2010, the committee was made up of 16 Republicans and six Democrats. The Committee’s work is guided by the fact that the Alabama Seventh Congressional District is a minority-protected seat, under the Voting Rights Act.
New Republican control of the state house and senate, as well as retained control of the governor’s office, ensured that Republicans would be in control of redistricting for the first time in the state’s history. On May 19, 2011 the ALCR voted 19-1 to introduce a potential congressional map to the state legislature, after previously rejecting (10-9) another plan that left district lines largely unchanged.
After both chambers voted to approve different versions of the map proposed by the ACLR, they came to an agreement on a new, revised map on June 2, 2011. The new map was approved 16-15 in the senate, and 57-45 in the house. The map was signed into law by Governor Robert Bentley (R) on June 8, 2011, and was cleared by the United States Department of Justice on November 21, 2011.
First District
The Alabama First Congressional District is located in southwestern Alabama, extending from Mobile Bay in the south with extensions east to the Brewton Municipal Airport, northeast to the Monroe County line, and north to the intersection of State Route 13 and US Route 43. The district is anchored by the cities of Mobile in the south, Brewton in the east, Monroeville in the northeast, and Jackson in the North. The 2010 redistricting process left the district largely unchanged, save for the removal of a large swath of territory in central Clarke County.
The Alabama First has been represented by Republicans since 1965. In light of the relatively minimalist changes to the district, Democrats are unlikely to capture the seat anytime soon.
Second District
The Second District is made up of the southeastern part of Alabama, with a northwestern arm into the area around Montgomery. Its primary urban centers are Dothan, Andalusia, Eufaula, and Montgomery. Its northern borders are the Elmore, Autauga, Bullock, and Barbour County lines. Its westernmost point is the border of Conecuh County, and its eastern border is along the Georgia state line. As with the First, the Second is largely unchanged – with the exception of a northern region that has picked up portions of Autauga County, and the addition of most of Montgomery County.
Third District
The Alabama Third runs along the eastern portion of the state, starting in Montgomery, Macon, and Russell Counties, and ending in Cherokee County. The westernmost point of the district is the western borders of Talladega County. The district is anchored by the cities of Auburn in the south, Anniston and Oxford in the center, and Cedar Bluff in the north. The main change to the district is the loss of a large portion of Montgomery County to the Alabama Second.
Fourth District
The Alabama Fourth stretches across the northern portions of the state, touching the borders with Mississippi and Georgia, and crossing the Brindlee Mountains. The district is anchored by the cities of Vernon and Red Bay in the west, Cullman in the center, and Gadsden and Fort Payne in the east. The main changes in the district between 2000 and 2010 are the loss of Pickens, Morgan, and Colbert Counties, as well as the addition of a portion Tuscaloosa County in the south.
Fifth District
The Fifth District is comprised of the northern border of Alabama and is sandwiched between the Fourth and the state of Tennessee. It is anchored by the cities of Florence, Athens. Decatur, and Scottsboro. During the redistricting process, the Fifth lost Lawrence and Colbert Counties, but picked up most of Morgan County.
Sixth District
The Sixth District is a central-Alabama district that neatly avoids the city of Birmingham and its surrounding suburbs. The Sixth has a large, cylindrical head that runs from Hueytown to Oneonta, with a narrow neck that runs along the cities of Clay and Trusville, opening up to a larger body that includes the cities of Centreville, Clanton and Goodwater. The Sixth’s head formerly extended to include portions of Tuscaloosa County, and additionally now includes parts of Coosa County in the southeast.
Seventh District
The Alabama Seventh is a mainly western district, covering large swaths of the western part of the state, with extensions south towards Jackson, and northeast to include Birmingham. The Seventh includes most of Alabama’s portion of the “Black Belt,” and is anchored by the cities of Reform, Butler, Camden, and Birmingham. The district has remained largely unchanged since 2000, though, most notably, now includes a stretch that follows US Route 80 towards, but not including, the city of Montgomery.