Tennessee lawmakers have completed a three-day sprint to pass new congressional maps that divide the city of Memphis into three separate districts, a move critics say dilutes Black voting power in the state. Governor Bill Lee signed the legislation into law Thursday, one day after the Tennessee legislature passed the redistricting plan during a chaotic session marked by Democratic walkouts and protests in the capitol building.
The action comes one week after the Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minority communities, setting off a wave of redistricting efforts across southern states. The timing has drawn scrutiny from voting rights advocates who argue the changes could reduce Black representation in Congress.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups say the new maps represent a direct attack on Black voting power in Tennessee. State Representative Justin J. Pearson, whose brother was arrested during protests, condemned the redistricting effort on the House floor.
"These maps are racist tools of white supremacy at the behest of the most powerful white supremacist in the United States of America, Donald J. Trump," Pearson said. "And what you are doing today is eviscerating the only Black majority congressional district in our state because we are majority Black."
Protesters traveled from Memphis to Nashville early Thursday morning, chanting "Hands off" inside the capitol building and setting off noisemakers during the House vote. The demonstrations forced Senate officials to clear spectators from the chamber.
Memphis has been represented for years by U.S. Representative Steve Cohen, a white Democrat serving a majority-Black district. Civil rights advocates say fragmenting the city across three districts weakens the collective voting power of Black residents who have historically voted as a bloc.
The quick turnaround also drew criticism. The public had only 24 hours to review the maps before lawmakers voted on them, a timeframe critics say limits opportunities for public input and transparency.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican lawmakers defended the maps as legal partisan moves that reflect Tennessee's conservative electorate. State Representative Jason Zachary argued the redistricting plan accounts for population changes and gives Republicans an opportunity to send a fully Republican delegation to Washington for the first time in history.
"This map was drafted based on politics, based on population and the opportunity for the first time in history for us to send an entire Republican delegation from Tennessee to represent the state in Washington, D.C.," Zachary said.
Governor Bill Lee initially hesitated to call a special session so close to congressional midterms but changed course after what his office described as a conversation with President Trump. The governor signed the legislation within hours of its passage.
Republicans have argued that courts have upheld similar redistricting efforts and that Democrats also engage in partisan map-drawing when they control state legislatures. Party officials say the maps comply with federal law and constitutional requirements.
What the Numbers Show
Tennessee currently has nine congressional seats, one held by a Democrat representing Memphis and eight held by Republicans. The new district boundaries would spread Memphis across three different districts, potentially creating Republican-friendly margins in two of them.
The changes follow a Supreme Court ruling last week that weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which had required states to consider the voting power of minority communities when drawing district lines. Legal experts say the decision gives states more latitude in designing congressional maps.
Tennessee is not alone in moving quickly on redistricting. In recent days, Republican lawmakers in Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina have also advanced new congressional maps. In Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry suspended an election in which some voters had already cast ballots during early voting periods.
President Trump had previously pushed Texas and other states to pursue redistricting efforts starting last year, aiming to expand GOP advantages before the 2026 midterm elections. Historically, the party controlling the White House tends to lose House seats during midterm cycles, making map control a strategic priority for both parties.
The Bottom Line
The Tennessee redistricting action marks another chapter in the ongoing national debate over electoral maps and minority representation. With federal Voting Rights Act protections weakened by court rulings, southern states now have more flexibility in drawing district boundaries.
Tennessee's new maps face likely legal challenges from voting rights groups who argue they violate constitutional principles of equal representation. Courts will need to determine whether fragmenting a majority-minority city across multiple districts constitutes unlawful dilution of Black voting power.
The midterms remain months away, and candidates will need to adjust campaign strategies to reflect the new district boundaries. For Tennessee Democrats, preserving Representative Cohen's seat in Memphis represents their top congressional priority in an otherwise heavily Republican state.