Tennessee Redraws Congressional Map, Splitting Memphis and Shifting Seats
New map splits majority-Black Memphis and Shelby County into three districts, eliminating Tennessee's lone Democratic U.S. House seat and reshaping the state's nine-seat delegation.
CBS NewsTennessee approves new congressional map that dissolves majority Black district
Western JournalVideo: Democratic Lawmakers Melt Down as Tennessee Passes New Congressional Map
TPMSouthern States Rush to Redraw Maps as John Roberts Gets Defensive
Joe.My.God.Tennessee Rep Taunts Democrats By Wearing Trump Flag To Vote On Erasing State's Only Dem-Held Seat - Joe.My.God.
Overview
Gov. Bill Lee signed on Thursday a new congressional map that divides Memphis and Shelby County into three districts, eliminating the state's lone Democratic-held U.S. House seat.
The change followed the Supreme Court's April 29 decision in Louisiana v. Callais that narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, prompting GOP-led states to pursue new maps.
Democrats held protests at the State Capitol, Rep. Steve Cohen said he will sue, and the Congressional Black Caucus condemned the move as a theft of fair representation, officials said.
The plan reshapes Tennessee's nine-seat delegation and could give Republicans a shot at winning all nine, while analysts projected Republicans could gain as many as 13 seats nationally and Democrats up to 10.
Lawmakers repealed a ban on mid-decade redistricting, passed a measure to reopen candidate qualifying until May 15, and the map faces expected legal challenges and political fallout ahead of the Aug. 6 primary.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a racially charged, partisan redistricting effort, using evaluative verbs ('carves up'), vivid protest detail ('No Jim Crow' chants) and legal context (Supreme Court weakening of the Voting Rights Act) to highlight racial impact. Republican defenses are included but receive less narrative emphasis than critics and protest imagery.