Tennessee Republicans moved aggressively Thursday to redraw the state’s congressional map after a major Supreme Court ruling weakened the legal framework that had protected minority-heavy voting districts for decades.
Governor Bill Lee signed the new map into law just hours after it cleared the GOP-controlled legislature, setting off a dramatic scene inside the Tennessee House chamber as furious Democrats waved protest signs, blasted airhorns, and eventually stormed out during the vote.
The new map is designed to hand Republicans complete control of Tennessee’s congressional delegation by dismantling the Memphis-area district currently held by longtime Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen.
Right now, Tennessee’s delegation consists of eight Republicans and one Democrat. Under the newly approved map, Republicans are expected to have a strong advantage in all nine congressional seats.
The overhaul comes directly on the heels of a significant Supreme Court decision issued last week involving Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling effectively narrowed the circumstances under which courts can require race-based congressional maps intended to preserve minority representation.
For years, Cohen’s Memphis-centered district existed largely because of prior legal interpretations designed to ensure Black voters had a meaningful opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The new ruling opened the door for Tennessee Republicans to redraw the district without the same legal obstacles.
State lawmakers wasted little time.
The new map splits portions of Memphis and Shelby County into three separate congressional districts, dispersing Democratic voters across larger Republican-leaning areas in what critics immediately labeled a textbook partisan gerrymander.
Cohen, who has represented the district since 2007, blasted the move and vowed to challenge it in court.
“It’s a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the black community’s and our entire city’s voice,” Cohen said after the vote.
Republicans argue the redraw simply reflects the state’s political reality. Tennessee has become one of the most Republican states in the country. President Donald Trump carried the state by a massive 64% to 34% margin over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
