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Tennessee approves GOP House map drawing out lone Democrat seat

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by Sarah Fortinsky - 05/07/26 2:47 PM ET

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by Sarah Fortinsky - 05/07/26 2:47 PM ET

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Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday passed a GOP-friendly map that carves up the state’s only majority-Black House seat and threatens the lone Democrat in the Volunteer State’s nine-member congressional delegation.

The Tennessee House and Senate approved the new map on Thursday after first voting to repeal the state’s 56-year prohibition on mid-decade redistricting, a necessary step before lawmakers could move forward with the proposal.

The new map splits Rep. Steve Cohen’s (D-Tenn.) Memphis-based 9th Congressional District — the state’s only majority-Black district — into three congressional districts, while further dividing Nashville into five.

The House passed the map in a 64-25 vote, with three Republicans abstaining. The Senate later passed the measure, 25-5, largely along party lines.

The bills now head to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) desk for his signature.

The governor called this week’s special session amid President Trump’s renewed push for Republican-led states to move forward with mid-decade redistricting ahead of November’s midterms.

Trump and Republicans scored a victory last week when the Supreme Court declared Louisiana’s congressional map an illegal gerrymander and ordered the state to redraw its lines, putting at least one of the state’s two Democratic seats in jeopardy.

After the Supreme Court decision, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had a “very good conversation” with Tennessee’s governor, “wherein he stated that he would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw in the Congressional Maps of the Great State of Tennessee.” A day later, Lee called a special session to review the state’s congressional map.

State lawmakers convened Tuesday and held committee hearings on Wednesday to consider the maps and related legislation. The committees heard testimony from witnesses including Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, a prominent voting rights activist, and Cohen, who sought to protect his district from being carved up.

Cohen argued Wednesday that having a Democratic congressman has benefited Tennessee, pointing to federal funding he secured during the Biden administration for the bridge over the Mississippi River. He also emphasized his longstanding ties to the district and his commitment to his constituents.

“We’re giving up the values of the state of Tennessee and the power of the state of Tennessee for one man who is president of the United States for two more years, and maybe a little bit for the governor, who’s going to be governor for a little less than a year,” Cohen told the committee.

“They’re going to get something out of this,” the Democrat continued, referring to Trump and Lee. “The people of Tennessee will lose. This is a loser for the people of Tennessee.”

The redistricting effort in the state has been met with fierce pushback, including from protesters who have shown up each day at the state Capitol, chanting anti-redistricting messages, including “Hands off Memphis!”, “Memphis is Black, there’s no denying that!” and “No new maps!”

The activists flooded the committee hearings on Wednesday and the galleries of the legislative chambers on Thursday, as the House and Senate considered the bills. On multiple occasions, officials were compelled to clear the galleries because of disruptions.

As the House voted on the maps, chaos erupted in the chamber, with screams and chants pouring down from the gallery, as one member pulled out an air horn. Democrats linked arms and walked out after the bills passed.

In the Senate — which took up the map shortly thereafter — shouting from outside the chamber drowned out debate, compelling the Democratic leader to ask protesters to remain quiet so she could get answers about the legislation. As debate continued throughout the morning and early afternoon, cheers for Democrats and jeers for Republicans continued outside the chamber.

As the Senate moved toward a final vote, Democrats began chanting, “Hands off Memphis,” before the chamber cut off the audio feed. The Democrats, dressed mostly in white, gathered at the front of the dais, as Sen. Charlane Oliver (D), who represents Nashville, stood on her desk and unfurled a sign, reading, “No Jim Crow 2.0. Stop the TN Steal.”

At the heart of the disagreement is whether race played a role in drawing the districts under the new GOP-friendly proposal.

Republicans repeatedly insisted the map was drawn to favor their party in November’s elections and did not take race into account. Democrats countered that dividing