Tennessee House Passes New Congressional Map After Repealing Mid-Decade Redistricting Ban

Tennessee lawmakers voted Thursday to advance a new congressional map for the state's nine U.S. House districts. The House gave final approval to legislation repealing a state law that had prohibited mid-decade redistricting. Lawmakers then passed a separate bill to reopen candidate qualifying until May 15.

The proposed map would split the Memphis-based 9th Congressional District, which is currently held by a Democrat and has been centered on the majority-Black city of Memphis. The changes would trigger redrawn lines across western and central Tennessee. Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton said the proposed districts were drawn based on population and politics, not racial data.

The action follows a Supreme Court decision in a Louisiana case that ruled the state had relied too heavily on race when it created a second Black-majority House district to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. That ruling altered a decades-old understanding of the law.

Louisiana postponed its congressional primary to allow time for a new map. Alabama is pursuing changes that could overturn a court-ordered map used in the 2024 election. In South Carolina, the House passed a resolution Wednesday that would permit redistricting later in the year, though it requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Republican leaders said they planned to introduce a new map and hold committee meetings Friday.

Eight states have adopted new congressional maps since last year. Republicans believe the changes could net them as many as 13 seats, while Democrats see potential gains of up to 10, though competitive races may limit the final outcome.

In Tennessee, the state Supreme Court rejected a similar challenge to the current map in April 2022, citing proximity to the election. Democrats noted that even less time remains before the Aug. 6 primary this year. A final Senate vote would send the map to the governor for approval.