Tennessee Republicans approve new House map splitting majority-Black district in Memphis

In a setback for Democrats ahead of the midterm elections, Tennessee's Republican-led legislature, on Wednesday, approved a new congressional map that splits the state's only majority-Black district into three parts. The move follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that legal experts argue weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. 

Last month, the Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision, struck down a Louisiana congressional map, holding that it constituted an "unconstitutional racial gerrymander." The majority decided that race was the main factor in drawing the district lines and that the state did not give a strong enough constitutional reason. In a 36-page opinion, Justice Samuel Alito explained that "the Constitution almost never permits the Federal Government or a State to discriminate on the basis of race."

Tennessee's new congressional map splits Shelby County, a Memphis-based seat held by longtime Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn), into three districts, moving parts into nearby rural, Republican-leaning districts. It also divides the Nashville metropolitan area, considered a Democratic stronghold, into five districts, as per an NBC report. The newly approved map is projected to shift the state's congressional delegation from an 8-1 Republican majority to a 9-0 Republican sweep.

Before the vote, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in a social media post that SCOTUS favored a redistricting approach based on partisan politics rather than race. "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. Today, Tennessee joins other red and blue states in redrawing their congressional maps," he wrote.

Democrats have, however, decried the new map as a racial gerrymander that dilutes the voting power of Black Tennesseans. Knoxville Rep. Gloria Johnson called the special session a "white-power rally and a white-power grab." "The ink hasn't even dried on the Supreme Court's decision to gut the Voting Rights Act and Tennessee & Alabama are scrambling to pass redistricting laws to wipe out Black representation. SHAME," Rep. Shontel Brown, an Ohio Democrat, said. 

"This is insane," Representative Cohen said in a post on X. "The GOP's newly proposed TN Congressional maps would have people in Shelby County all the way to Williamson County — 200+ miles apart — being 'represented' by the same Congressman. It's a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the Black community's and our entire city's voice," he added. 

Tennessee is the first state to pass new districts following the Supreme Court's ruling, which Republicans say gives them grounds to eliminate majority-Black districts that frequently elect Democrats.