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NewsMother JonesMay 7, 2026United States

Tennessee and Other Southern States Redraw Voting Maps Following Supreme Court Ruling

Following a Supreme Court decision affecting the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee is moving to pass a new congressional map that eliminates the state's last majority-Black district in Memphis. Similar redistricting efforts are underway in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, potentially reducing the number of majority-Black districts across the South.

redistrictingvoting rightselectionscivil rightsUS House of Representatives
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Why It Matters

The new Tennessee map splits Memphis into three districts and Nashville into five, changing which congressional representatives residents in these cities will vote for and potentially altering the political composition of the state's delegation to the US House.

Key Facts

  • Tennessee is set to pass a new redistricting map that eliminates the state's last majority-Black congressional district.
  • The new Tennessee map splits Memphis, which is over 60% Black, into three separate districts.
  • The new Tennessee map divides Nashville into five separate districts.
  • Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina are also considering new redistricting maps before the 2026 midterms.
  • The proposed changes across Southern states could eliminate four to six majority-Black districts currently held by Democrats.
  • The Supreme Court's 'Louisiana v. Callais' decision struck down the creation of a second majority-Black district in Louisiana.
  • The Supreme Court's 'Louisiana v. Callais' decision was put into effect immediately, allowing Louisiana to suspend its House primary.
  • Memphis has maintained its own dedicated congressional district since 1923.

Who's Mentioned

personSteve Cohen“Incumbent Democratic Representative for the 9th district.”organizationSupreme Court of the United States“Issued rulings affecting the Voting Rights Act and redistricting cases.”personJeff Landry“Republican Governor of Louisiana.”personBrett Kavanaugh“Supreme Court Justice.”personJohn Roberts“Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.”locationMemphis“City being split into three districts in the new map.”locationNashville“City being divided into five districts.”personMartin Luther King III“Advocate who wrote to Tennessee legislators opposing the map changes.”personJustin Pearson“Democratic State Representative.”organizationNAACP Legal Defense Fund“Advocacy group monitoring redistricting impacts.”locationTennessee“State legislature currently redrawing congressional maps.”