Full Breakdown
Federal Judges Uphold Tennessee’s New Congressional Map Ahead of August Primary
7/24/2026, 8:57:12 PM
Core Event
A three-judge federal panel declined to issue a preliminary injunction on the new Tennessee congressional map, allowing it to be used in the upcoming August primary elections. The revised map splits the majority-Black district that has encompassed Memphis for about two decades, extending Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen’s district eastward for several hundred miles before it reaches the Nashville suburbs. Cohen announced shortly after the redrawing that he will not seek reelection.
Background & Context
Tennessee’s legislature adopted the new districts in May, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. The ruling, issued in late April, struck down a majority-Black district in Louisiana as an illegal racial gerrymander, opening a pathway for GOP-controlled states to redraw districts with large minority populations under the premise of partisan intent. President Donald Trump has encouraged Republican-led states to pursue such mid-decade redistricting to preserve the party’s slim House majority in the November elections.
Official Statements & Responses
Republican officials argue the map reflects partisan, not racial, motivations, citing the 2019 Supreme Court decision that permits legislatures to draw districts for political advantage. Attorney Taylor Meehan, representing Tennessee election officials, said it was “too late to revert” because primary ballots had already been finalized and noted that “racial data was turned off” when the map was drafted, emphasizing a political rather than racial purpose.
Criticism & Opposition
Plaintiffs contend the map dilutes Black voting power. Amber Sherman, a Memphis voter and plaintiff, described the ruling as “painful” and asserted, “We deserve the same opportunity to shape our future as anyone else.” “We deserve the same opportunity to shape our future as anyone else,” — Amber Sherman Ari Savitzky of the ACLU Voting Rights Project told the judges that an “all-white-controlled legislative body” deliberately destroyed the state’s lone pocket of Black political power.
Data & Statistics
- Tennessee’s nine congressional districts now include the former Memphis-based majority-Black district divided among three districts.
- Early voting for the August primary began on July 17.
The decision clears the way for the contested map to be used in the primary, setting the stage for a potentially altered partisan balance in Tennessee’s congressional delegation.
