The NAACP on Thursday filed an emergency petition in Davidson County Chancery Court to block Tennessee's newly approved congressional redistricting plan, which critics say would eliminate the state's only majority-Black congressional district. The civil rights organization is urging Gov. Bill Lee (R) and state legislators not to enact the new map, arguing it violates the Tennessee Constitution.

The Republican-drawn map splits up Rep. Steve Cohen's Memphis-based 9th Congressional District—the state's only majority-Black seat—into three separate districts. Lee signed the legislation into law earlier Thursday after it passed through both the state Senate and House of Representatives. The new district boundaries are expected to affect Tennessee's nine-member congressional delegation.

What the Left Is Saying

NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke called the redistricting effort a direct attack on democratic representation. "It is a direct attack on our democracy and our Constitution to dismantle majority-Black districts. A democracy without Black representation is not a democracy," Clarke said in a statement. She pointed to Tennessee's history, noting, "Black communities in Tennessee have been silenced and brutalized for centuries. This is where the KKK was born and where [Martin Luther King Jr.] was assassinated."

NAACP President of the Tennessee Conference Gloria Sweet-Love echoed those concerns, calling the new map "unlawful." "There is a long history and contemporary pattern of unfair redistricting practices in rural West Tennessee that have harmed Black political representation," Sweet-Love said. "We will stand up to make sure that Black voters retain their voting power."

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who has represented the 9th District since 2007, vowed legal action against the new map. In a post on social media, he wrote: "Trump knows he HAS TO rig the game to keep his majority in November. And the TN GOP was willing to go along with it. It's shameful. Next stop is the courts." Cohen testified before lawmakers Wednesday urging them to preserve the Democratic seat, warning that complying with Trump's request to redraw maps in favor of Republicans amounts to "giving up the values of the state."

What the Right Is Saying

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) defended the redistricting effort by citing recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent on racial considerations in map-drawing. In a post on the social platform X, Sexton wrote: "The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind. The decision indicated states can redistrict based off partisan politics."

Republicans have pointed to the high court's recent ruling striking down Louisiana's congressional map for containing a second majority-Black district as unconstitutional gerrymandering as justification for their approach. Tennessee GOP lawmakers argue the new boundaries reflect permissible partisan considerations rather than unlawful racial sorting.

What the Numbers Show

Tennessee currently has nine congressional seats, with Republicans holding eight compared to Cohen's single Democratic seat. The 9th Congressional District, which includes Memphis and surrounding areas in Shelby County, had a Black population of approximately 57% according to the most recent census data. Under the new map, those voters would be distributed across three different districts, likely diluting their collective voting power.

The NAACP petition was filed as an emergency request seeking immediate judicial intervention before the map can take effect for upcoming elections. Courts have historically intervened in redistricting cases when plaintiffs demonstrate potential violations of state or federal law.

The Bottom Line

The legal battle over Tennessee's congressional map is expected to unfold rapidly, with both sides preparing for a court fight that could extend into the election season. Cohen has already announced his intention to pursue litigation, and at least one Republican has declared a candidacy for what would become his redrawn district. The outcome could determine whether Black voters in Memphis area retain their ability to elect a candidate of choice, and may set precedent for how states respond to Supreme Court rulings on racial considerations in redistricting following the Louisiana decision.