We are not sure if this is fake news, but apparently Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who has staunchly opposed the voting rights provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, dealt a blow to the GOP’s bid for immediate relief in Alabama.
The state’s Republican officials have been determined to redraw the state’s congressional map that was blocked by a lower court. This long-fought battle is much like the other ones across the South after the April ruling by the Supreme Court that severely decimated the historic civil rights provision.
More consistent with Justice Thomas’ ideological stance is his recent dissent in a death row case in which the majority of the associates intervened, arguing that a false statement was used to convict and sentence Gary Whitton to death.
In his dissent, in which he was joined — unsurprisingly — by Justice Samuel Alito, Thomas spoke out against Whitton and argued that he did not deserve the chance to have his case heard by the Supreme Court. In effect, by Monday, Thomas was once more wearing his MAGA crown.
It will take us a few days to examine his position on the Alabama redistricting case and why he chose to block the Republicans. His action may be merely a momentary distraction, though it’s hard to believe there is possibly something more consequential than Donald Trump’s tactics to maintain control of the House of Representatives as the 2026 midterms loom. Stay tuned.
