Republican leaders in Tennessee unveiled a congressional map Wednesday designed to dismantle the state's sole Democratic-held district, seizing on a major Supreme Court decision that removed restrictions on partisan redistricting. The proposal targets a majority-Black district centered in Memphis represented by Rep. Steve Cohen.
State House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson filed legislation to implement the new map, along with a companion bill to change state law and allow redistricting more frequently than once per decade. Both chambers, where Republicans hold commanding majorities, are expected to vote Thursday on the package.
Sexton framed the effort as legally sound, citing the Supreme Court's recent ruling limiting the use of race in redistricting. "The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind," he said in a statement, adding that the new map would "reduce the risk of future legal challenges while promoting sound and strategic conservatism."
The revised map would carve Memphis's metro area, home to more than 1 million people, into three separate congressional districts. This division would weaken Democratic voting power in the region, a traditional stronghold for the party.
Kareem Crayton, vice president of the Brennan Center for Justice's Washington office, said the fragmentation creates a representation problem. "No single representative would have an incentive to show attention to the issues and concerns with people who live there," he explained, noting that the map splits voters across different media markets and time zones, ignoring Tennessee's three historically and geographically distinct regions represented on the state flag.
Tennessee's primary elections are scheduled for August 6, putting time pressure on the legislature to act. The state's effort is part of a broader Republican push across the South to redraw maps following the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Louisiana's congressional districts as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey called lawmakers into a special legislative session this week to prepare for potential redistricting action, with state primaries set for May 19. Louisiana moved to delay its May 16 House primaries to allow time for map redrawing. South Carolina Republicans are debating whether to take up a new map that could affect the majority-Black district held by longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, with primaries scheduled for June 9.
The flurry of mid-decade redistricting efforts continues a campaign launched by President Donald Trump last year, when he urged Republican-controlled states to redraw their maps to shore up the party's House majority. Over the past year, eight states have enacted new maps that could shift an additional 13 seats to Republicans and 10 to Democrats, though some remain in litigation.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The speed and aggressiveness of these redistricting pushes suggest Republicans are confident the courts won't stop them, and Democrats appear largely powerless to fight back at the state legislative level where it matters most."
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