Trump Announces Tennessee GOP Leaders Agree to Redraw Congressional Map
President Trump says Tennessee GOP leaders agreed to eliminate Memphis majority-minority district, but Governor Lee hasn’t committed to calling special session.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Tennessee’s Republican legislative leaders have agreed to redraw the state’s congressional map to eliminate the only majority-minority district in Memphis, potentially giving the GOP a 9-0 advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation.
The announcement came one day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a section of the Voting Rights Act that required southern states like Tennessee to draw majority-minority congressional districts to help Black voters choose representatives.
However, Governor Bill Lee has not publicly stated whether he would call the special legislative session needed to redraw the maps. The governor did not respond to requests for comment from the Tennessee Lookout.
Legislative Leaders Exploring Options
Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton both confirmed in emails Wednesday that they were exploring the possibility of redistricting and discussing it with lawmakers. The process would require Lee to convene a special session of the General Assembly.
“We should be clear that any map that breaks up Memphis is about diluting Black voting power,” said state Senator Charlane Oliver, a Nashville Democrat. “That’s what happened in Nashville.”
Legal Precedent for Redistricting
The Memphis-based congressional district has historically been held by the Democratic Party due to its majority-minority composition. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling, combined with past decisions allowing partisan gerrymandering, now makes it legal to break up the Memphis district as long as lawmakers can prove the motivation is partisan rather than racial.
This would not mark the first time Tennessee Republicans have redrawn districts for partisan advantage. Following the 2022 redistricting cycle, Republicans increased their congressional representation advantage from 7-2 to 8-1 by dividing the Democratic stronghold of Nashville across three districts instead of keeping the city within a single district.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican running for governor this year, shared a photo on social media showing a map where the GOP would win all nine congressional districts by substantial margins.
Potential Impact on Representation
The proposed redistricting would eliminate Tennessee’s sole majority-minority congressional district, which has ensured Black voters in the Memphis area maintain significant influence in selecting their representative. Civil rights advocates argue that breaking up this district would dilute Black voting power in a state where African Americans comprise approximately 17% of the population.
The Tennessee Lookout, using the nonpartisan Dave’s Redistricting tool, was able to create a similar map showing how Republicans could achieve a clean sweep of the state’s congressional seats through strategic redistricting.
Any new congressional map would need approval from both chambers of the Republican-controlled General Assembly before taking effect for future elections.
