“Tennessee is a conservative state, and I submit its congressional delegation should reflect that. By passing this map, Tennessee is doing its part to advance common-sense leadership in Washington.
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Tennessee Republicans Unveil Map to Eliminate Lone Democratic Seat
May 6, 2026
On May 6-7, 2026, Tennessee Republicans introduced, passed, and sent to Gov. Bill Lee a congressional map that splits the Black-majority 9th District — held since 2007 by Democrat Steve Cohen of Memphis — across three Republican-leaning districts, giving Republicans a potential 9-0 sweep. The House passed the map 64-25 and the Senate 25-5, largely along party lines. Lee signed a repeal of the state's 50-year-old prohibition on mid-decade redistricting less than an hour after it cleared the chamber, paving the way for the map to take effect. The effort was called explicitly by Trump and follows the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that dramatically weakened the Voting Rights Act and cleared states to draw maps on partisan grounds.
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“Black bodies lay in rivers and in fields all across this country because they dared to speak out for representation and the right to vote. This is an absolute power grab.
“I just handed Representative Lamberth the Confederate flag saying "We will not go back," because you are trying to bring us back to the Confederacy.
“Gov. Bill Lee signed the repeal of a 50-year-old law barring mid-decade redistricting less than one hour after the bill cleared the Republican supermajority in the statehouse, clearing the path for the new congressional map to take effect.
“It's a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the Black community's and our entire city's voice.
“We have to defend our right to representation and our voices in Congress, in the state House and in elected office.
“The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind. The decision indicated states can redistrict based off partisan politics. Today, Tennessee joins other red and blue states in redrawing their congressional maps.