Tennessee Republicans redraw maps to erase last Democratic, Black-majority district
Summary
Tennessee’s Republican-led legislature approved new voting maps that split the state’s only Democratic, Black-majority congressional district into three parts. This change makes all nine of Tennessee’s districts favor Republican candidates, following a recent Supreme Court ruling that limited protections against racial discrimination in voting.Key Facts
- Tennessee’s legislature, controlled by Republicans, passed new redistricting maps on Thursday.
- The ninth congressional district, covering Memphis and with a majority Black population, was divided into three districts.
- Each of the new districts contains about one-third of Memphis’ Black voters, diluting their impact.
- As a result, all nine congressional districts in Tennessee lean toward Republicans.
- The change followed the Supreme Court’s Callais v Landry decision, which weakened parts of the Voting Rights Act.
- Tennessee’s House Speaker, Cameron Sexton, said the redraw reflects the state’s conservative values.
- Democrats strongly opposed the map changes, calling the process unfair and comparing it to past racial discrimination laws.
- President Donald Trump won Tennessee by a large margin in the 2024 presidential election, and Republicans currently hold eight of nine congressional seats.
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