Anger mounts after Tennessee Republicans redraw maps – US politics live
TL;DR
Tennessee Republicans passed new redistricting maps that eliminate the state's only Democratic, Black-majority congressional district, splitting Memphis into three Republican-leaning districts. This move has sparked significant public anger ahead of the November midterms.
Key points
- Tennessee legislature passed new redistricting maps
- Eliminated the state's only Democratic, Black-majority district
- Shelby County, home of Memphis, split into three districts
- All nine congressional districts in Tennessee are now Republican-leaning
- Republican Speaker claims maps were drawn based on population and politics
Mentioned in this story
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature passed redistricting maps on Thursday, eliminating the state’s one Democratic, Black-majority congressional district as GOP lawmakers scramble to improve their fortunes ahead of the November midterms.
The new map splits Shelby County, the home of Memphis, a majority-Black city that played a critical role in the civil rights movement, into three separate Republican-leaning districts.
The majority-Black district being eliminated in the Memphis area has long been represented by Rep. Steve Cohen, the state’s lone Democratic congressional representative. All nine of Tennessee’s congressional districts are now Republican-leaning.
Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton claimed that the new districts were drawn based on population and politics, not racial data.
Protest against redistricting efforts in Tennessee
Demonstrators protest inside the Tennessee state Capitol on 7 May 2026. Photograph: Seth Herald/Reuters
But Democrats dismissed these claims and have argued that dividing up Memphis effectively deprives the Black community of representation in Congress.
“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,” said state Rep. Justin Pearson, a Black Democrat from Memphis who is running for the US House.
Democrats say the redistricting effort, which prompted fierce protests, was a cynical attack on the hard-fought gains for equal representation won in the civil rights movement in a state that was forged by slavery and segregation.
The redraw comes as Republican-led southern states scramble to enact new maps in the wake of last week’slandmark Callais v Landry decision supreme court ruling, which invalidated swaths of the Voting Rights Act which had restrained state governments from drawing congressional districts that left Black voters at a political disadvantage.
Republicans in Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina also have taken steps toward redistricting. Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, is reportedly due to sign the map into law imminently.
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Q&A
Why did Tennessee Republicans redraw the congressional maps?
Tennessee Republicans redrew the maps to eliminate the only Democratic, Black-majority district and to enhance their electoral chances ahead of the midterms.
What impact does the redistricting have on Memphis?
The redistricting splits Memphis, a majority-Black city, into three separate Republican-leaning districts, diminishing its representation.
Who represented the eliminated Black-majority district in Tennessee?
The eliminated Black-majority district in Memphis was long represented by Rep. Steve Cohen, the state's only Democratic congressional representative.
