The Tennessee General Assembly approved a new congressional map on May 7, 2024 [2], eliminating the state's only majority-Black district [1].
The move targets the 9th Congressional District in the Memphis area, which critics say constitutes racial gerrymandering. By dismantling this district, Republican lawmakers seek to increase the GOP electoral advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives [2, 3].
Rep. Justin J. Pearson (D-TN), who is running for the U.S. House seat, denounced the legislative action. He said the map represents a "political lynching" that has set Tennessee back over 150 years [1, 4].
Pearson linked the timing of the map's approval to judicial shifts in federal law. He said a Supreme Court decision in April 2024 [1] weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which historically protected minority representation in electoral districts.
The 9th District had served as the sole majority-Black district in the state [1]. The new map splits the Memphis-based constituency to dilute the voting power of Black residents, a strategy that opponents argue suppresses minority influence in federal government [2, 3].
Despite the redistricting, Pearson said he continues his campaign for the seat. He said the vote to redraw the districts was a direct assault on the democratic process in Tennessee [1].
“"political lynching" that has set Tennessee back over 150 years”
The elimination of Tennessee's only majority-Black district reflects a broader national trend of leveraging judicial rollbacks of the Voting Rights Act to implement aggressive gerrymandering. By splitting the 9th District, the GOP-led legislature reduces the likelihood of a minority-preferred candidate winning a seat, effectively shifting the balance of power in the state's federal delegation.
