CBS senior White House and national correspondent Ed O’Keefe traveled to Alabama on Thursday for CBS Mornings to cover that state’s redistricting efforts after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on majority-minority districts. According to O’Keefe, the battle was between those who are fighting to maintain the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and power-hungry Republicans.
Co-host Gayle King introduced O’Keefe by declaring, “This morning Alabama is set to become the latest state to redraw congressional districts in favor of Republicans following a landmark Supreme Court ruling. Last week's decision makes it much harder for states to create districts favoring minority candidates.”
No, it does not make it harder for minority candidates. It means Democrats can’t argue their districts are actually mandated by law. As it was, O’Keefe began by responding, “Gayle, good to see you. The fight over who ultimately controls the House of Representatives next year is playing out in the Deep South. This isn't just about partisan power plays we have seen in other big states. Down here it's also about the decades-long fight over who ultimately represents mostly black communities.”
CBS reporter Ed O'Keefe portrays Alabama redistricting after the Supreme Court's VRA ruling as the legacy of the "the modern Civil Rights Movement" versus a "a Republican power grab." He also passes off a progressive activist as a generic voter who "don't want the area redrawn… pic.twitter.com/iZg9PbK6wc
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) May 7, 2026
In a voiceover, O’Keefe reported how “Alabama Democratic Congressman Shomari Figures may soon be out of a job, not because he loses an election but because his district could be drawn off the map.”
Figures then fearmongered that Alabama is close to relapsing to the dark days of the past, “People are not happy with the idea of this state legislature trying to take us back to a place where we have been before.”
O’Keefe then added, “Figures represents most of Montgomery, Alabama: the birthplace of the modern Civil Rights Movement. His constituents don't want the area redrawn into Republican-held congressional districts.”
According to CBS’s chyron, Rachel Turner is simply an “Alabama Voter,” and she was also shown freaking out, “I just felt like I have been hit by a ton of bricks. So, many people gave their actual lives in order to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”
Turner is actually a member of the Alabama Resistors' chapter of Indivisible, a progressive activist group that protests all things Trump.
Moving on to the other side of the aisle, O’Keefe introduced state Attorney General Steve Marshall, who wants “the Supreme Court to reverse previous federal court rulings requiring his state to create two districts with mostly black voters.”
Interviewing Marshall, O’Keefe suddenly got interested in the realities of political hardball, “Is this a Republican power grab?” Marshall replied, “No, I think what it is, is the legislature in Alabama being able to exercise their authority.”
O’Keefe then teed up another clip of Marshall, “Unlike new maps in other states, after President Trump asked Texas to come up with more Republican seats, Alabama plus Tennessee and Louisiana are moving quickly in response to last week's Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the Voting Rights Act. Now any state can redraw boundaries with less accounting for race. And Marshall, who is also running for U.S. Senate, argues Alabama's map should better reflect the state's Republican tilt.”
Marshall urged everyone to remember that what Alabama wants to do is not unique, “All our constitutional officers are from the Republican Party. It's no different than what you see in New England, for example, having a whole slate of Democratic representatives.”
Back live, O’Keefe concluded, “So, Alabama is still waiting for court rulings on whether it can move ahead. A ruling can come as soon as today or tomorrow. Tennessee can act as soon as today to redraw a Democratic, mostly black district around the city of Memphis. Louisiana’s going to act in the coming days as well. Lots of moving parts, Nate, with just 180 days to go until Election Day.”
Nobody’s right to vote is being taken away, but Figures and Turner’s “right” to win is. If King and O’Keefe don’t like that, they should ask New England Republicans how they have been dealing with such a system of years on end.
Here is a transcript for the May 7 show:
CBS Mornings
5/6/2026
8:14 AM ET
GAYLE KING: This morning Alabama is set to become the latest state to redraw congressional districts in favor of Republicans following a landmark Supreme Court ruling. Last week's decision makes it much harder for states to create districts favoring minority candidates. Ed O'Keefe is in Montgomery, the state capitol, with the latest on this. Ed, good morning. What can you tell us?
ED O’KEEFE: Gayle, good to see you. The fight over who ultimately controls the House of Representatives next year is playing out in the Deep South. This isn't just about partisan power plays we have seen in other big states. Down here it's also about the decades-long fight over who ultimately represents mostly black communities.
Alabama Democratic Congressman Shomari Figures may soon be out of a job, not because he loses an election but because his district could be drawn off the map.
SHOMARI FIGURES: People are not happy with the idea of this state legislature trying to take us back to a place where we have been before.
O’KEEFE: Figures represents most of Montgomery, Alabama: the birthplace of the modern Civil Rights Movement. His constituents don't want the area redrawn into Republican-held congressional districts.
RACHEL TURNER: I just felt like I have been hit by a ton of bricks. So, many people gave their actual lives in order to exercise their fundamental right to vote.
O’KEEFE: Alabama Republicans like Attorney General Steve Marshall want the Supreme Court to reverse previous federal court rulings requiring his state to create two districts with mostly black voters.
Is this a Republican power grab?
STEVE MARSHALL: No, I think what it is, is the legislature in Alabama being able to exercise their authority.
O’KEEFE: Unlike new maps in other states, after President Trump asked Texas to come up with more Republican seats, Alabama plus Tennessee and Louisiana are moving quickly in response to last week's Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the Voting Rights Act. Now any state can redraw boundaries with less accounting for race.
And Marshall, who is also running for U.S. Senate, argues Alabama's map should better reflect the state's Republican tilt.
MARSHALL: All our constitutional officers are from the Republican Party. It's no different than what you see in New England, for example, having a whole slate of Democratic representatives.
O’KEEFE: So, Alabama is still waiting for court rulings on whether it can move ahead. A ruling can come as soon as today or tomorrow. Tennessee can act as soon as today to redraw a Democratic, mostly black district around the city of Memphis. Louisiana’s going to act in the coming days as well. Lots of moving parts, Nate, with just 180 days to go until Election Day.
NATE BRULESON: You are right about that.
