By Brian Lyman | Editor
Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District was redrawn this spring by the GOP-controlled Legislature to favor a Republican nominee. On paper, it does. But what was in June a district rated Strong Republican moved into toss-up territory on Tuesday.
Voters in Alabama's 2nd Congressional District will choose between state Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise (left), and incumbent U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Montgomery, (right) in a newly drawn district. (Figures photo by Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector; Marques photo and graphic by Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
ELECTIONS 2026
By Anna Barrett and Andrea Tinker
Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, redrawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act earlier this year, has drawn national attention and investments and by one measure has gotten tighter over the last week. U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, the Democratic nominee, and Rep. Rhett Marques, the GOP nominee, have traded attacks on afforadbility, taxes, and healthcare in the district.
In the first three years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022, more than 900 women faced criminal charges for conduct related to their pregnancies, according to a new report. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
HEALTHCARE
By Sofia Resnick
More than 900 women around the nation have been criminally charged related to their pregnancies since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections in 2022. A report from Pregnancy Justice, a nonprofit that supports abortion rights, found most charges alleged substance abuse during pregnancy. Alabama had the third-highest number of cases against pregnant women, trailing only South Carolina and Oklahoma.
Voters line up outside Shiloh Hills Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Georgia, on Election Day, May 19, 2026. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
ELECTIONS 2026
By Jonathan Shorman
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to send 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states, a massive expansion of an existing program coming amid concerns from Democrats and voting rights activists about Donald Trump’s attempts to influence elections. Election experts have emphasized that even with 1,000 monitors, the effort would be far too small to interfere with voting on a large scale.
ICYMI
Conservative lender accused of Ponzi scheme sentenced to 15 years in prison | Alander Rocha, Georgia Recorder
Early voting surges in midterm elections as millions cast their ballots | Ariana Figueroa and Shauneen Miranda, DC Bureau
Following anti-Arab remarks, RFK Jr. promotes faith-based recovery program in Detroit | Katherine Dailey, Michigan Advance
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