Overview
- Tennessee’s GOP-controlled legislature passed a new U.S. House map and Gov. Bill Lee signed it Thursday, carving the Memphis-based 9th District into three Republican-leaning seats.
- The plan fractures Shelby County and stretches those voters into far-flung rural districts, which critics say dilutes Black voting power and severs communities that share local media and services.
- Lawmakers also repealed the state’s ban on mid‑decade redistricting and reopened candidate qualifying through May 15, changes that could confuse voters and prompt late shifts in the August 6 primaries.
- Protesters disrupted the Capitol proceedings as Democrats called the map racist; Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents Memphis, said he will sue to block the new lines.
- Republicans said they drew the map for partisan gain, not race, and independent analysis found all nine districts would have favored Trump by at least 20 points; similar pushes are underway in Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina, including a paused House primary in Louisiana.