Eric Holder Condemns Gerrymandered Alabama Maps that Dilute Minority Voting Power

October 21, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Today, Eric H. Holder, Jr., 82nd Attorney General of the United States and Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, released the following statement following the Alabama Legislature’s passage of gerrymandered maps even in the face of a bipartisan vote against them:

“With the passage of maps that clearly dilute the influence of Alabama’s communities of color, the state legislature’s Republican majority is running a clinic on how not to have a fair and transparent redistricting process. These elected officials had the opportunity to pass maps that reflect the state’s growing diversity while also incorporating input from the public hearings, and they failed. 

“As they are currently drawn, these new maps do not do enough to accurately and fairly represent Alabama’s black population, who continue to be marginalized and are denied the opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. 

“What’s happening in Alabama shows precisely why Congress must act urgently to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Without the proper checks in place, self-interested politicians will continue to prioritize their political careers over the needs of the communities they are supposed to represent. The people of Alabama do not deserve to have their voices silenced and neither do voters elsewhere in America.”

###