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Tennessee GOP Approves Map Cracking Memphis Black District

5/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Tennessee became the first Republican-controlled state to approve a congressional map that dismantles Memphis’s majority-Black district.
The legislature split Memphis into three Republican-leaning districts and placed the plan in effect pending lawsuits.
Democratic leaders and civil-rights groups sued, saying the map dilutes Black voting power.
The map follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s April 29 decision that weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts.

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Story summary

Tennessee became the first Republican-controlled state to approve a congressional map that dismantles Memphis’s majority-Black district.
The legislature split Memphis into three Republican-leaning districts and placed the plan in effect pending lawsuits.
Democratic leaders and civil-rights groups sued, saying the map dilutes Black voting power.
The map follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s April 29 decision that weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts.