Tennessee Republicans propose new congressional map to eliminate lone Democratic district

Thu, 07 May 2026 08:55:00 +0200

Tennessee Republicans have unveiled a proposed new congressional map that would redraw the state’s nine U.S. House districts in a way that is expected to erase the state’s last Democratic seat. The plan targets the current majority‑Black district centered on Memphis, held by Democratic Representative Steve Cohen, by splitting up majority‑Black Shelby County and dispersing its voters across several new districts. If adopted, the map would give Republicans a clean sweep of all nine congressional districts in Tennessee, cementing complete GOP control of the state’s federal House delegation.

The redistricting push follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a decision that Republican‑led Southern states have quickly leveraged to redraw or dismantle Democratic‑leaning, minority‑majority districts. In Tennessee specifically, the new map also divides Maury County, which is expected to make the seat of Republican Representative Andy Ogles more