Tennessee redistricting splits Memphis district into three

Tennessee has approved new congressional maps that divide Memphis's single Democratic-held district into three districts expected to favor Republicans in November. The changes follow protests by Democratic lawmakers and a special legislative session.

The new boundaries split Memphis along Poplar Avenue, sending parts of the majority-Black city into districts that stretch across rural southern Tennessee and into suburban areas near Nashville. Officials say the maps were redrawn after the Supreme Court ruled states need not preserve majority-Black districts.

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Illustration of Governor Bill Lee signing a new map bill in Tennessee to eliminate a Democratic congressional seat by splitting Shelby County.
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Tennessee republicans pass new map to eliminate democratic seat

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Tennessee’s Republican-controlled legislature approved a new congressional map on Thursday that splits majority-Black Shelby County into three districts. The move aims to remove the state’s only Democratic-held U.S. House seat. Governor Bill Lee signed the map into law shortly after passage.

Tennessee Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a proposed congressional map that would split the state's majority-Black Shelby County and likely erase the last Democratic seat in the U.S. House. The plan aims to give the GOP all nine of the state's congressional districts. It follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened Voting Rights Act protections.

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Tennessee Republicans voted Thursday to pass new congressional maps expected to eliminate the state's only Democratic U.S. House seat. Republican Governor Bill Lee signed the measure into law shortly afterward. The move followed a Supreme Court decision striking down certain majority-black districts as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.

In response to the Supreme Court's Callais v. Louisiana decision curtailing Voting Rights Act protections (as covered in this series), Alabama lawmakers have begun a special session to reinstate 2023 congressional maps if courts lift a prior ban. Critics say the move would undermine Black representation.

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Legal fights over congressional maps are accelerating in multiple states as both parties maneuver for advantage before the November 2026 elections. A high-profile U.S. Supreme Court case involving Louisiana’s congressional map could have broader implications for how race is considered in redistricting under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.

The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled Friday that a voter-approved redistricting plan violated state constitutional procedures. The 4-3 decision nullifies the April referendum and keeps the state's existing congressional maps in place. Democrats had sought the change to gain a stronger edge ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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Fewer congressional races are expected to be competitive in the upcoming fall elections, largely due to mid-decade redistricting efforts initiated by President Trump. This means over 90% of House seats will be decided in primaries with low voter turnout. Experts warn this gives outsized power to a small, unrepresentative group of voters.

 

 

 

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