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Republicans unveil proposed congressional map that carves up Tennessee's lone Democratic district
Republicans say the plan removes racial data from mapmaking and could reduce legal challenges as committees prepare to vote this week.
- On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Tennessee Republicans officially released a proposed congressional map designed to eliminate the state’s final Democratic stronghold by carving up the majority-Black city of Memphis.
- The new map would dismantle the 9th Congressional District, currently represented by Rep. Steve Cohen , and divide Shelby County among three Republican-leaning districts. If passed, the map would likely result in a 9-0 Republican sweep of Tennessee’s U.S. House seats.
- Governor Bill Lee called a special legislative session specifically for this redistricting effort, following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened portions of the Voting Rights Act. State House Speaker Cameron Sexton argued the move is legal under the Court's guidance that states can redistrict based on "partisan politics."
- The push follows direct public pressure from President Trump, who last week urged Tennessee leaders to ensure the state becomes "fully Republican" in the upcoming November midterms to help cement the GOP’s narrow House majority.
- Civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers have condemned the proposal as a "return to Jim Crow." Martin Luther King III sent a letter to state leaders expressing "grave concern," noting that the plan dismantles the only district providing a fair voice for Black voters in the city where his father was assassinated.
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9-0 — Red State Eliminates Every Democrat, It's A Complete Wipeout
Tennessee Republicans unveiled a new congressional map Tuesday that could eliminate the state’s final Democratic-held House seat, marking the latest escalation in the national redistricting battle reshaping the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The proposed map, released by Tennessee legislative leaders, would create a projected 9-0 Republican congressional delegation by redrawing the Nashville-area district currently repr…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources61
Leaning Left17Leaning Right19Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Right
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Right
40% Right
L 35%
C 25%
R 40%
Factuality
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