Alabama’s political landscape faces several tests this week, from a residency dispute working through the courts to new leadership atop the state’s Democratic Party and a congressional map that has reshaped the race for a U.S. House seat.
Alabama Supreme Court Weighs Tuberville Residency Case
The Alabama Supreme Court is confronting a threshold question in the residency case surrounding Tommy Tuberville: whether any court has the authority to enforce the seven-year residency requirement in the state’s constitution before voters go to the polls. Residency requirements for candidates are a recurring feature of American elections, and disputes over whether — and when — a court can step in to enforce them ahead of an election are not unusual when a candidate’s ties to a state are challenged.
Singleton Wins Alabama Democratic Party Chairmanship
Bobby Singleton won a landslide victory to become the new chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party. Party chairs typically oversee fundraising, candidate recruitment and organizing efforts heading into major election cycles, and a change in leadership often signals a shift in strategy for a party heading into the fall.
Republicans Push to Close Alabama’s Primaries
Meanwhile, Alabama Republicans are pushing to close the state’s primary elections. In a closed primary system, only voters registered with a party can cast a ballot in that party’s primary, as opposed to an open primary, where any registered voter can participate regardless of party affiliation. Alabama currently holds open primaries, and the push to change that system would mark a significant shift in how the state’s most competitive elections are decided.
Marques-Figures Race Draws National Attention
A newly redrawn congressional district has reshaped the race for November, setting up a high-stakes matchup between Rhett Marques and Shomari Figures. Redistricting can dramatically change the competitiveness of a race by shifting which voters live within a district’s boundaries, and the new lines have turned this contest into one of the most closely watched congressional races in the state this fall.
Cities Rethink Mental-Health Crisis Response
Away from the campaign trail, Alabama’s largest cities are reexamining how they respond to mental-health crises, part of a broader national conversation about whether armed police officers should be the default responders to calls involving a mental-health emergency.