U.S. Rep. Barry Moore will square off against U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl in a Republican battle for the newly redrawn and highly conservative 1st congressional district seat in South Alabama.

Moore’s chief of staff, Sheena Teehan, confirmed the candidacy and said a statement will be released later today. Moore plans to officially file as a candidate also on Monday.

Carl, the incumbent in the 1st congressional district, released the following statement, “Bring it on. I have a proven track record of putting Alabama first every day and delivering conservative results for Alabama’s First Congressional District. I’m not afraid to fight Biden’s radical, out of touch ideas or whatever else comes my way.”

Moore’s decision means he will run in his new home district. Enterprise, which was in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district, was redrawn and added into the 1st district following a court-ordered redistricting of Alabama’s congressional map.

A special master appointed by federal judges redrew the map after the the Alabama Legislature’s proposed map was found to be a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The new map redrew Moore’s 2nd district to give Black voters an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice in a decision that had the backing of a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The new 1st district is considerably more conservative than it was under the Legislature’s map. According to Cook Political Report’s revised Partisan Voter Index (PVI), the 1st district is now a +28 advantage for Republicans, tied for the sixth most GOP-leaning congressional district in the country. The figure is a remarkable shift from just a few years ago, when it was a +15 advantage for Republicans when former U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne represented the seat.

Though the 1st district has always been a reliably Republican district, it ranked sixth among the state’s six Republican-leaning districts at the time, and was the 75th most Republican district in the country. The sudden shift further rightward has enabled the district to leapfrog all the GOP strongholds in Texas, Georgia, and beyond.

Jon Gray, a GOP political strategist, said he believes the 1st district will become a focal point for the Freedom Caucus and conservatives to push for Moore’s candidacy. Moore and U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer of Hoover are the only two Alabama members of the House who are members of the far-right caucus.

Gray also believes the race will be decided in Baldwin County, which is the largest population base for the 1st district.

“Barry Moore brings the Wiregrass, and Jerry Carl brings Mobile,” Gray said. “There is no favorite child in Baldwin County.”

Carl has touted a list of endorsements from state representatives, and local and county officials from both Baldwin and Mobile counties.

The Club for Growth also looms large in the race. A conservative heavyweight in elections, the group vehemently opposed Carl’s campaign in 2020, and backed his opponent, Bill Hightower. Carl won despite the Club’s campaigning against Carl. The Club did back Moore in 2020 during his successful contest against Republican Jeff Coleman.