Tennessee Lawmakers Approve Mid-Decade U.S. House Map Splitting Memphis
Tennessee lawmakers approved a new congressional map in a special session on May 7, 2026, splitting majority-Black Memphis into three districts and dismantling Rep. Steve Cohen's seat.
Lawmakers first passed a measure overturning the state's ban on mid-decade redistricting before adopting the map. Nashville remains divided among three districts, and the new 5th District stretches from affluent suburbs into downtown Memphis. Democrats and protesters denounced the plan as partisan gerrymandering, and Rep. Steve Cohen said he will sue.
The episode traces back to maps drawn in January 2022 that split Democratic-leaning Nashville across three districts. Those maps preserved a majority-Black 9th District centered on Memphis to reduce Section 2 Voting Rights Act risk. In Louisiana v. Callais, the U.S. Supreme Court on April 29, 2026 narrowed Section 2 in a 6-3 ruling, which prompted Gov. Bill Lee to call the special session. As of July 1, 2023, Shelby County was 53.8 percent Black and 40.4 percent White, and in November 2022 Rep. Cohen won about 70 percent of the vote in the 9th District.
Critics warn the map could effectively erase Memphis as a unified congressional constituency and tilt Tennessee's delegation further Republican, while supporters say it better reflects state voting patterns. With Cohen preparing litigation, the plan is likely to face immediate court challenges.
The new congressional map has ignited a fierce debate, with critics arguing that it effectively dismantles Memphis's political power and could lead to a 9-0 Republican delegation in the House. Social media reactions highlight this concern, with @Peoples_Pundit noting the potential for a complete GOP sweep and @rawsalerts emphasizing claims of racial disenfranchisement by predominantly white Tennessee Republicans. Supporters of the map, such as @Gatewayxchange_, argue that it reflects the state's voting patterns and counters Democratic gerrymandering tactics seen in other states. This split in perspectives underscores the contentious nature of redistricting in an increasingly polarized political landscape.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that Shelby County's population is predominantly Black at 53.8%, which raises significant concerns about representation following the map's approval. The 2022 election results, where Rep. Steve Cohen secured 70% of the vote in the 9th District, further illustrate the potential impact of these changes on Black political representation in Tennessee. As the legal battle unfolds, the implications of this redistricting will likely resonate beyond state lines, reflecting broader trends in partisan gerrymandering and the erosion of federal oversight in redistricting practices.
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
Shelby County, Tennessee, has a population where Black residents constitute 53.8 percent, White residents 40.4 percent, and Hispanic or Latino residents 6.7 percent. ([U.S. Census Bureau](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/shelbycountytennessee/PST045224)) ([U.S. Census Bureau](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/shelbycountytennessee/PST045224)) ([U.S. Census Bureau](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/shelbycountytennessee/PST045224))
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Shelby County, Tennessee — U.S. Census Bureau
In the 2022 general election for Tennessee's 9th Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Steve Cohen won with 70 percent of the vote against Republican Charlotte Bergmann's 30 percent. ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee's_9th_Congressional_District_election,_2022)) ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee's_9th_Congressional_District_election,_2022)) ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee's_9th_Congressional_District_election,_2022))
Tennessee's 9th Congressional District election, 2022 — Ballotpedia
The Supreme Court's April 29, 2026 ruling in the Louisiana case struck down the state's congressional map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander because it predominantly used race to create a second majority-Black district. ([SCOTUSblog](https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/04/in-major-voting-rights-act-case-supreme-court-strikes-down-redistricting-map-challenged-as-racia)) ([SCOTUSblog](https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/04/in-major-voting-rights-act-case-supreme-court-strikes-down-redistricting-map-challenged-as-racia)) ([SCOTUSblog](https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/04/in-major-voting-rights-act-case-supreme-court-strikes-down-redistricting-map-challenged-as-racia))
In major Voting Rights Act case, Supreme Court strikes down redistricting map challenged as racial gerrymander — SCOTUSblog
📌 Key Facts
- On May 7, 2026, Tennessee's legislature approved a new congressional map in a special session.
- Lawmakers first passed a measure overturning the state's ban on mid-decade redistricting before adopting the map.
- The plan splits majority-Black Memphis and all of Shelby County into three districts, dismantling Rep. Steve Cohen's Democratic seat.
- Nashville remains divided among three districts, with the new 5th District running from affluent suburbs into downtown Memphis.
- Gov. Bill Lee called the special session after the Supreme Court's April 29, 2026 ruling narrowing Voting Rights Act Section 2 and striking Louisiana's map.
- Rep. Steve Cohen has said he will sue over the new Tennessee map, and Democrats and protesters denounced the plan as partisan gerrymandering.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- On Thursday, May 7, 2026, the Tennessee Senate’s final vote on the new U.S. House map occurred amid loud protests, with Democratic Sen. Charlane Oliver standing on her desk holding a banner calling the plan a 'Jim Crow' effort while other Democratic senators linked arms at the front of the chamber.
- Protesters in the House and Senate galleries yelled, chanted, blew air horns and were held back by Tennessee state troopers in the hallways as Republicans advanced and approved the new map.
- Republican leaders quickly adjourned the special session after the final vote and sent the map to Gov. Bill Lee; the article notes Lee signed the separate repeal of the mid‑decade redistricting ban immediately, and frames the remap as part of President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to preserve a narrow U.S. House majority in the November 2026 midterms.
- The article emphasizes Tennessee is the first state to pass new congressional districts after the April 29, 2026 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Louisiana’s second majority‑Black district, and notes that Republicans in Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina are now actively moving toward similar mid‑decade redistricting steps.
- On Thursday, May 7, 2026, Tennessee Republicans passed a congressional map that cracks majority-Black Shelby County into three districts to target the Democratic-held 9th District.
- The article explicitly frames the move as an effort to eliminate the state's lone remaining Democratic House seat held by Rep. Steve Cohen.
- State Rep. Justin Pearson, who had been challenging Cohen in a primary, publicly called the new districts "racist tools of white supremacy."
- The piece notes that Tennessee is the first state to pass a new congressional map after last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision weakening Voting Rights Act protections in redistricting.
- The article adds that President Trump has urged Tennessee and other GOP-led states to redraw maps before the 2026 midterms as part of a broader mid-decade redistricting push, and that Republicans in Louisiana and Alabama are also moving to eliminate majority-Black Democratic-held districts.