Tennessee Democrats Drop Federal Redistricting Lawsuit as Two Other Cases Continue
Democratic Party drops federal challenge to GOP redistricting that split Memphis into three districts, citing weakened Voting Rights Act.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Tennessee Democrats have voluntarily dismissed their federal lawsuit challenging the Republican-led redistricting process that divided majority-Black, majority Democratic Memphis into three U.S. House districts, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
The dismissed challenge was brought by the Tennessee Democratic Party, four Democrats running for U.S. House seats, and four voters. Among the plaintiffs were U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who represented District 9 encompassing Memphis for 19 years before announcing his retirement due to the redrawn map, and State Rep. Justin Pearson, who is now running for Congress in the reconstituted 9th District.
Supreme Court Decision Influences Withdrawal
The brief notice of voluntary dismissal filed with the court did not provide detailed reasons for dropping the lawsuit. However, Pearson attributed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which weakened key provisions of the Voting Rights Act.
On June 2, the Supreme Court upheld Alabama redistricting maps that divided Black voters who previously held a majority in one district into three districts where they are now minorities, further limiting legal challenges to similar redistricting efforts.
Other Legal Challenges Remain Active
Cohen announced he would support two other legal challenges to Tennessee’s redistricting that remain pending in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. One lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, while another was brought by the NAACP and League of Women Voters.
Both active suits allege racial discrimination in the redrawing of maps that eliminated Tennessee’s sole majority-minority U.S. House district. The redistricting process carved up Memphis, traditionally a Democratic stronghold with a significant Black population, into multiple districts that dilute minority voting power.
A fourth lawsuit filed separately by the NAACP in state court was dismissed last month, according to Tennessee Lookout reporting.
Political Implications
The redistricting changes represent a significant shift in Tennessee’s congressional representation. The Republican-controlled legislature’s map effectively dismantled the Democratic stronghold that Cohen had represented since 2007, forcing the veteran congressman into retirement rather than face a significantly altered district.
Pearson, who gained national attention as one of the “Tennessee Three” expelled from the state legislature before being reinstated, initially planned to challenge Cohen in a primary but is now running in the redrawn district following Cohen’s retirement announcement.
The ongoing legal challenges will determine whether Tennessee’s new congressional map stands or whether courts will require the state to redraw districts to better preserve minority voting strength in Memphis and surrounding areas.
