Alabama Republican leaders asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday for emergency approval to use a congressional map favoring Republicans in upcoming elections, challenging a lower court’s ruling that the plan intentionally discriminates against Black residents.

Attorney General Steve Marshall argued in the appeal that the state did not engage in intentional discrimination and should be allowed to conduct elections using a map drawn by elected lawmakers rather than judges. The request comes one day after a three-judge panel rejected Alabama’s effort to implement the 2023 map and ordered continued use of a court-drawn alternative that created two districts with majority or near-majority Black populations.

The case stems from years of litigation over Alabama’s congressional districts. In 2023, the panel ruled the state’s original map diluted Black voting power in a state that is approximately 27% Black. That court-ordered map was used in 2024 and contributed to the election of Democrat Shomari Figures in south Alabama. Republicans now seek to restore their preferred map to improve chances of regaining that seat.

The appeal follows last month’s Supreme Court decision in a Louisiana case that struck down a Black-majority district and limited parts of the federal Voting Rights Act. That ruling has encouraged Republican-led states across the South to redraw maps in ways that better reflect their state’s overall political leanings.

The redistricting push aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to protect and expand the Republican House majority in the November midterms. Alabama’s special primaries for affected districts are currently scheduled for August 11.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority had previously lifted an injunction on the state map and sent the case back for reconsideration. However, the three-judge panel reaffirmed its earlier finding of intentional racial discrimination, calling the evidence “undisputed.”

Alabama is requesting a decision from the justices by Monday to allow proper preparation for the August special elections. The outcome could have significant implications for Republican efforts to maintain control of the narrowly divided House of Representatives.