Tennessee Passes New Map as Democrats Protest with Airhorns
The Tennessee state legislature passed and Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) signed the state’s new congressional map Thursday as part of a multistate Republican redistricting push unleashed after the Supreme Court’s reinterpretation of the Voting Rights Act.
TL;DR
- Tennessee enacted a new congressional map, changing its House delegation from 8-1 to 9-0 Republican control.
- The map splits the Democratic-hub of Memphis across three congressional districts.
- The redistricting follows a Supreme Court decision limiting the consideration of race in mapmaking.
- Democrats protested the bill in the state legislature by using airhorns and leaving the chambers.
- President Trump has encouraged Republican-led states to redistrict ahead of midterm elections.
- Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp has decided against redistricting for the 2026 elections, despite pressure from some Republicans.