Tennessee House Approves Controversial Congressional Map Targeting Majority-Black District

On Thursday, during a special session convened by Governor Bill Lee after President Donald Trump urged state legislatures to act, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted 64-25 along party lines to adopt a revised congressional map. The map would dismantle the state’s sole majority-Black district in Memphis, a change expected to remove the only Democratic member of Tennessee’s U.S. congressional delegation. Democrats walked out of the chamber and protesters shouted as lawmakers exited.

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The session follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision that eliminated the preclearance requirement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, removing a key safeguard against racial gerrymandering. The ruling has spurred similar redistricting moves in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and President Trump has publicly encouraged Republican legislators to reshape maps in response.

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The House vote recorded 64 Republicans in favor and 25 Democrats opposed. The revised map targets the only majority-minority district in Memphis. The Tennessee Senate is scheduled to consider the plan on Friday.

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The ACLU of Tennessee called the plan a “Jim Crow” map designed to target the state’s only majority-minority district. Common Cause warned that weakening Voting Rights Act protections enables maps that quietly diminish the political voice of communities of color. State Rep. Justin Pearson described the action as “what evil looks like” and urged repentance from his colleagues.

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• “this is what evil looks like.” — Justin Pearson, State Representative (D-86)

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• “The moment politicians manipulate the map,” — ACLU of Tennessee

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• “By weakening protections against racial gerrymandering, the court made it easier for politicians to draw voting maps that look neutral but quietly weaken the voices of communities of color,” — Common Cause

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• “Jim Crow” map with the “specific goal of targeting the state’s only majority-minority district in Memphis.” — ACLU of Tennessee

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If enacted, the map would likely eliminate the sole Democratic congressional seat from Tennessee, reducing Black voter representation and illustrating a broader national trend of partisan redistricting following the Supreme Court’s decision.

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The articles do not provide the exact configuration of the new districts or identify the Democratic incumbent who would be affected, and they contain no details on pending legal challenges or the Senate’s final vote outcome.

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The Tennessee Senate is scheduled to vote on the map on Friday. If approved, the new districts will shape the 2024 congressional elections in the state. The final outcome will depend on the Senate vote.

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