Full Breakdown
Tennessee’s New Congressional Map Dismembers the State’s Sole Majority-Black District
5/8/2026, 5:00:55 AM
Core Event
In early May 2026 the Republican-controlled Tennessee General Assembly approved, and Gov. Bill Lee signed, a congressional redistricting plan that splits Memphis—the state’s only majority-Black city—into three separate districts. The map eliminates the 9th District, which has been represented by Democrat Steve Cohen, and would give the GOP a clean sweep of all nine House seats. The legislation also repealed a five-decade ban on mid-decade redistricting, suspended the one-year residency requirement for congressional candidates, and removed the statutory duty to mail voter-notice of polling-place changes.
Timeline
- April 29 2026 – Supreme Court’s *Louisiana v. Callais* decision weakens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
- April 30 – Gov. Lee calls a special legislative session.
- May 6 – GOP leaders unveil the new map.
- May 7 – House and Senate pass the map amid protests.
- May 8 – Gov. Lee signs the map into law.
- May 9 – NAACP files an emergency lawsuit seeking an injunction.
Key Figures
- Gov. Bill Lee (R) – Governor and signatory.
- Cameron Sexton (R) – House Speaker.
- Kristen Clarke – NAACP General Counsel.
- Steve Cohen (D) – Incumbent congressman for the former 9th District.
- London Lamar (D) – State senator leading Democratic opposition.
Data & Impact
Memphis is roughly 61 % Black; the 9th District has been the state’s only majority-Black congressional seat. The new plan divides Shelby County among three districts that stretch to rural western and central Tennessee, linking voters across disparate media markets and time zones. By breaking the district, Republicans aim to convert the seat to GOP control, creating an all-Republican congressional delegation for the first time in Tennessee’s modern history.
Official Statements
Gov. Lee said the legislature “ensures our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters.” House Speaker Sexton asserted that the Supreme Court’s ruling permits “color-blind” redistricting, framing the map as a lawful response to the Court’s guidance. Republican leaders also emphasized that the changes address “population and partisan balance” rather than race.
Opposition & Legal Challenge
The NAACP’s lawsuit argues the repeal of the anti-redistricting statute and the map itself violate clear Tennessee statutory law and constitutional limits. State senators London Lamar and Heidi Campbell denounced the plan as a “power grab” that “silences Black voters.” Civil-rights leader Martin Luther King III warned the effort would “dismantle the only Congressional district that provides Black voters in Memphis a fair opportunity to have a voice.”
Conflicting Views
Republicans maintain the map is driven solely by population data and partisan fairness. Critics contend the split of a majority-Black city constitutes a racial gerrymander, noting the removal of voter-notice requirements will likely cause confusion for hundreds of voters whose precincts have shifted.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It is a direct attack on our democracy and our Constitution to dismantle majority-Black districts. A democracy without Black representation is not a democracy,” — Kristen Clarke, NAACP General Counsel
- “We’re not just redrawing the map. We’re making sure people don’t have to be told the map changed,” — Heidi Campbell, State Senator (D-Nashville)
- “This is an absolute power grab.” — London Lamar, State Senator (D-Nashville)
- “Jim Crow on steroids.” — Norman Ornstein, political scientist (former AEI)
What’s Next
The NAACP’s suit seeks to void the repeal, block the new districts and halt elections under the map. A court ruling before the August 2026 primaries could reshape Tennessee’s congressional races. Meanwhile, similar redistricting drives are underway in Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina and other Southern states, signaling a broader post-*Callais* shift in electoral mapmaking.
