Senator Marsha Blackburn is pushing Tennessee lawmakers to eliminate the state’s last Democratic congressional seat, exploiting a Supreme Court ruling that just gutted federal voting protections for minority communities.
Story Snapshot
- Blackburn calls for special legislative session to redraw congressional maps following Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision weakening Voting Rights Act
- Redistricting plan targets U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s Memphis seat, the only Democratic district remaining in Tennessee
- Proposed district would stretch over 200 miles, connecting Memphis to rural central Tennessee areas
- Democratic officials condemn effort as voter disenfranchisement aimed at Memphis’s predominantly Black population
Supreme Court Ruling Opens Door for Redistricting
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision striking down racial gerrymandering protections in the Voting Rights Act, removing legal barriers that had previously shielded Memphis from redistricting efforts. The ruling dealt another blow to the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, following a Louisiana congressional map case deemed unconstitutional in 2024. Senator Marsha Blackburn, currently running for Tennessee governor, immediately seized on the decision to call for state lawmakers to reconvene in special session. She framed the redistricting effort as essential to “cement Trump’s agenda and the Golden Age of America” while pledging to keep Tennessee “a red state.”
Targeting Memphis’s Democratic Stronghold
Blackburn’s proposal directly targets U.S. Representative Steve Cohen, who has represented Memphis for a decade. The redistricting plan would create an unusually shaped district spanning over 200 miles, connecting Memphis in western Tennessee with rural areas in the middle of the state. This represents an escalation from 2022 redistricting efforts that successfully flipped Nashville’s District 5 from Democratic to Republican by dividing the city into three Republican districts. If implemented, the redistricting would eliminate Tennessee’s only Democratic congressional representation, creating an all-Republican state delegation.
Bipartisan Support and Opposition Emerge
Multiple Tennessee Republican officials have echoed Blackburn’s call for redistricting, including Representatives Andy Ogles and John Rose, along with state senators and representatives. Rose, a gubernatorial candidate competing against Blackburn, pledged to lead the redistricting effort if elected governor. Democratic officials have characterized the proposal as “voter disenfranchisement” and a “raw political power grab aimed directly at Memphis, Black voters.” State Senator Raumesh Akbari and Senate Democratic Caucus Chair London Lamar condemned the effort as “voting discrimination” targeting the only Democratic congressional district left in Tennessee.
The Deep State Pattern of Disenfranchisement
This development illustrates how political elites manipulate the system to consolidate power at the expense of ordinary citizens. Whether you lean left or right, the pattern is unmistakable: those in power redraw the rules to ensure they stay in power. Memphis residents, particularly the predominantly Black and Democratic population previously protected by Voting Rights Act provisions, now face diluted voting power through gerrymandered districts designed by politicians in Nashville. The timing raises questions about whether this serves the people of Tennessee or simply advances the political ambitions of those seeking higher office.
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MISSISSIPPI MOVES…
— Citizen Watch Live (@Citizenwatchrep) April 29, 2026
The proposal remains in the advocacy stage, with Blackburn making it a centerpiece of her gubernatorial campaign while urging the legislature to reconvene. If successful, the redistricting would fundamentally alter Tennessee’s political representation and reduce Democratic electoral opportunities in the state for the next decade, demonstrating how recent Supreme Court decisions enable aggressive partisan gerrymandering previously prohibited by federal law.
Sources:
Blackburn Calls on Tennessee to Eliminate Remaining Democratic Seat After SCOTUS Ruling – WPLN
Tennessee Republicans Call to Redraw Congressional Maps – Nashville Scene
