A contentious Tennessee redistricting fight erupted into protests and confrontations at the state capitol after Republican lawmakers approved a new congressional map that divides Memphis into multiple GOP-leaning districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Tennessee lawmakers approved a sweeping congressional redistricting plan Thursday that is expected to eliminate Democrats’ lone U.S. House stronghold in the state by breaking apart the Memphis-based district represented for nearly two decades by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen.
The newly approved map divides Shelby County, home to the majority-Black city of Memphis, into three separate Republican-leaning congressional districts. Republicans already hold Tennessee’s remaining eight congressional seats, and supporters of the proposal openly acknowledged the map could result in an all-Republican delegation being sent to Washington.
Passage of the legislation triggered chaotic scenes inside the Tennessee Capitol, where protesters shouted from gallery balconies, lawmakers linked arms on the House floor, and state troopers intervened during heated confrontations.
Democratic lawmakers condemned the redistricting effort as an attack on Black political representation following recent Supreme Court decisions affecting Voting Rights Act protections.
“It is a form of Jim Crow terror,” Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones said during debate on the House floor. “You know what you’re doing. It’s shameful.”
Republicans defended the proposal as a partisan redistricting effort rather than one motivated by race.
“This gives us a unique opportunity for the first time in history to have an all-Republican delegation sent from Tennessee to Washington, D.C., to represent conservative values,” Republican state Rep. Jason Zachary said.
As lawmakers cast votes in the House chamber, Speaker Cameron Sexton repeatedly ordered protesters removed from the gallery amid yelling, hissing, airhorns and chants. Black Democratic lawmakers stood together at the front of the chamber linking arms as the final vote proceeded.
The Senate chamber also experienced disruptions during debate. Democratic state Sen. Charlane Oliver stood atop a desk and displayed a banner reading “No Jim Crow 2.0” while fellow Democrats protested the measure.
According to a report from News Channel 3, Republican state Reps. John Gillespie and Mark White joined Democrats in voting against the proposal, while Republican lawmakers Michele Reneau, Ron Travis and Greg Vital voted “present.”
The legislation redraws the current 9th Congressional District, which has long served as Tennessee’s primary Democratic stronghold and includes large portions of Memphis and Shelby County. Under the new boundaries, roughly 31% of Black voters would be concentrated into one of three districts encompassing portions of Shelby County.
Footage circulating on X showed lawmakers and demonstrators erupting after passage of the measure, including scenes from the House chamber as Democrats shouted in protest following the final vote.
Additional confrontation unfolded after the vote involving Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson. Video shared online showed Pearson yelling profanities at state troopers as they surrounded him near the House chamber floor.
Pearson shouted, “the fck is wrong with you? You stupid motherfcker” during the exchange. Pearson was previously expelled from the Tennessee House in 2023 following a gun control protest conducted inside the chamber after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, according to reporting by WKRN.
The Tennessee redistricting battle comes amid a broader national effort by both political parties to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as control of the U.S. House remains narrowly divided.
Republican-led legislatures in several states have moved quickly following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Louisiana redistricting. The court determined Louisiana improperly relied on race when creating a second majority-Black congressional district under Voting Rights Act requirements, a decision critics argue weakens longstanding protections for minority voting representation.
Following the ruling, Louisiana suspended its scheduled May 16 congressional primary election to allow lawmakers additional time to redraw district boundaries, even after early voting had already begun.
South Carolina Republicans are pursuing legislation that could dismantle a majority-Black district represented by longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, while Alabama officials have asked the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that required creation of a second majority-Black district in that state.
Republicans have also pursued aggressive redistricting efforts elsewhere. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently approved a revised congressional map projected to expand Republican representation in the state’s House delegation by four seats.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court upheld Texas’ congressional map earlier this week, a ruling Republicans say could eventually produce five additional GOP-held congressional seats.
Virginia remains embroiled in separate redistricting litigation after voters narrowly approved a referendum expected to benefit Democrats in 10 of the state’s 11 congressional districts. The Virginia Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the dispute during an April 27 hearing, according to Roll Call, but has not yet issued a ruling.
The Tennessee fight over Memphis now adds another flashpoint to the intensifying national battle over congressional boundaries as both parties attempt to secure advantages before voters head to the polls in 2026.
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