Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson (D) said the GOP's push to redraw congressional districts is a racist effort to eliminate the state's only Democratic seat [1].
The move follows a recent Supreme Court decision to strike down Section 2 [3] of the Voting Rights Act. This legal shift has enabled Tennessee Republicans to pursue a map that would create an all-Republican congressional delegation, potentially erasing the representation of majority-Black voters in Memphis and Shelby County [2, 5].
Gov. Bill Lee called the legislature back into session on April 29, 2026 [4], to discuss the new congressional map. The effort is being championed by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R), who said the state needs to be the next stop on the redistricting front to ensure an all-GOP map [6].
Pearson described the strategy as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise specific populations. "It's not accidental, it's very intentional. This is a racist push," Pearson said [7].
Tennessee currently has only one Democratic U.S. House seat [1]. That seat represents the ninth Congressional District, which is a majority-Black district [2]. Democrats warn that the redistricting process is not a neutral administrative task, but a partisan tool to consolidate power.
While some describe redistricting as an unbiased legislative requirement [8], others argue the current push is a clear instance of partisan gerrymandering intended to remove the last remaining Democratic stronghold in the state [9]. The focus remains on whether the new boundaries will legally withstand challenges regarding racial equity, and voter access.
“"It's not accidental, it's very intentional. This is a racist push."”
The effort to create an all-Republican delegation in Tennessee signals a broader strategy by GOP legislators to capitalize on the Supreme Court's narrowing of the Voting Rights Act. By targeting the 9th Congressional District, the state's only majority-Black seat, the GOP is attempting to maximize its federal influence by eliminating the last remaining Democratic foothold in the state's congressional delegation.
