Tennessee Republicans are seeking to eliminate the state’s only Democratic congressional seat following a Wednesday U.S. Supreme Court decision. A Louisiana congressional map redrawn in 2024 was deemed unconstitutional in the latest blow to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The ruling is set to weaken the political power of minority communities nationwide, including Memphis, which has a majority Black population.
Following the decision, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn — the leading Republican candidate for governor ahead of November’s midterm elections — called for a special session of the state legislature to redraw the congressional maps. She pledged to pursue the effort if elected governor.
“I urge the state legislature to reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis,” said Blackburn on social media, where she shared a speculative map showing an all-red Tennessee. “It’s essential to cement President Trump’s agenda and the Golden Age of America. I’ve vowed to keep Tennessee a red state, and as Governor, I’ll do everything I can to make this map a reality.”
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That call was echoed by other Tennessee officials, including Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District Rep. Andy Ogles, state Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and state Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville), the latter of whom is also running in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District. That 6th Congressional District seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. John Rose, who is also running for governor and supports the redistricting effort, saying that he will “lead on this effort” if elected governor.
Term-limited Gov. Bill Lee, who is in his last months in office, did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked if he will convene a special session of the state legislature. The Tennessee General Assembly gaveled out of session last week.
Democrats React
“We’ve been expecting this decision,” says U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis — Tennessee’s sole Democratic federal elected official — in a press release. “I’m disappointed that the Court has diluted the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed minority voters the right to elect the representative of their choosing. It has served us well. This ruling effectively undoes the work of Martin Luther King and John Lewis. Changes to the Voting Rights Act should be made by Congress.”
Cohen held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to address Blackburn’s comments.
State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), who is challenging Cohen for the 9th Congressional District seat, sounded the alarm over Blackburn’s statement. Pearson calls the Supreme Court ruling “an attack on Black political power.”
“Today’s Voting Rights Act ruling is more than a legal decision, it is an assault on democracy and the civil rights for which Black voters have fought and died,” says Pearson.
“We will work in partnership with civil rights organizations and attorneys to protect our congressional, state and county commission seats and continue to organize, mobilize and activate People Power to protect our democracy and the vision of a pluralistic multiracial democracy.”
State Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) called the redistricting proposals “voter disenfranchisement” and “voting discrimination,” while Senate Democratic Caucus Chair London Lamar (D-Memphis) called it a “raw political power grab aimed directly at Memphis, Black voters and the only Democratic congressional district left in Tennessee.”
"If the General Assembly follows this wicked call, they will be laying bricks for a new Jim Crow South where politicians choose their voters and silence communities who resist their political agenda,” Lamar says. “I am asking my Republican colleagues plainly: Do not do this. This is a moral line. Do not cross it. Memphis will not be erased, and Black voters will not be silenced."
“Calls for a special session should be grounded in the real and urgent needs of Tennesseans,” says House Minority Leader Karen Camper (D-Memphis). “Families across our state are struggling with rising housing, energy/fuel, childcare, and healthcare costs, while serious challenges persist within our foster care system. These are the issues that demand immediate legislative attention. Revisiting redistricting does not meet that threshold. If we are to convene, let us do so to deliver meaningful solutions that strengthen families and support our most vulnerable children. Tennesseans deserve a focused, responsible approach that prioritizes their everyday realities.”
