Story perspectives

Marques wins Alabama 2nd District GOP primary for House race

8/12/2026

Summary

Marques Wins Primary

Rep. Rhett Marques (R) won Alabama’s 2nd District Republican primary on Aug. 11, setting a Nov. 3 contest against Rep. Shomari Figures (D).
Marques received 16,411 votes, 50.03 percent of 32,801 total, and was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Sen. Katie Britt.
A June Supreme Court ruling allowed Alabama to adopt a map that reduced the district’s Black voting-age population from 48 percent to 40 percent, favoring Republicans.

Summary

Marques Chasing House

The court-approved map shifted Alabama’s 2nd District from a 2024 Democratic win to a potential Republican pickup, prompting intensified fundraising.
Campaign analyst Steve Flowers of Action 8 Political Analyst said both parties will spend millions on the battleground race that could decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Republican nominee Rhett Marques, who owns a tire and automotive service center in Enterprise, has served as a state legislator since 2018.

History

Historical Context

In 1982 Congress reauthorized the Voting Rights Act’s special provisions, extending Section 5 preclearance for 25 years and expanding coverage to multiple states. After the 2013 Shelby County decision nullified the coverage formula, the Supreme Court’s June 2024 ruling allowing Alabama to redraw its 2nd District without preclearance removed the remaining barrier and deepened the erosion of federal oversight.

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Marques Wins Primary

Rep. Rhett Marques (R) won Alabama’s 2nd District Republican primary on Aug. 11, setting a Nov. 3 contest against Rep. Shomari Figures (D).
Marques received 16,411 votes, 50.03 percent of 32,801 total, and was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Sen. Katie Britt.
A June Supreme Court ruling allowed Alabama to adopt a map that reduced the district’s Black voting-age population from 48 percent to 40 percent, favoring Republicans.

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