Tennessee Dems bash GOP over gerrymandering plan
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Tennessee Democrats lambasted Republicans in the run-up to the special session to redraw Tennessee's U.S. House map, saying the supermajority was bowing to President Trump, marginalizing Black voters and creating election chaos.
Why it matters: Tennessee appears to be on the brink of shifting from a congressional map that features eight Republicans and one Democrat to one that favors the GOP in all nine districts.
- Republicans have directly acknowledged that they want to split up the blue district in Memphis in order to gain ground in the midterms and maintain GOP control of Congress.
What they're saying: "At a time when communities across Tennessee are demanding equity, access, and representation, this special session represents a deliberate attempt to dilute Black political voices and silence the will of voters," the Tennessee Black Caucus said last week in a joint statement.
- Rep. John Ray Clemmons, a Nashville Democrat, said in a statement that Gov. Bill Lee was "abusing his power to try and rig elections and silence the voice of Tennesseans."
The other side: Republicans applauded Lee for calling for the special session and maximizing the state's conservative representation.
- Because the GOP holds a supermajority in the House and Senate, there may be little Democrats can do to block a new map.
Catch up quick: State lawmakers typically draw new House maps only once a decade. They just approved new districts in 2022.
- Lee called for a special legislative session last week after Trump and Sen. Marsha Blackburn publicly pushed the idea.
Between the lines: Tennessee has long preserved the Memphis-area U.S. House seat as a Black-majority district.
- A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week seems to give the green light to legislatures to disregard the Voting Rights Act provision that preserved minority-majority districts.
How it works: The special session is scheduled to last three days. During that time, Republicans must overhaul the rules for this year's election, since the qualifying deadline to appear on the August primary ballot has already passed.
Zoom out: Although District 9 is the focus of the special session, splitting up Memphis voters will shift boundaries and scramble races statewide.
State of play: The current District 9 Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat, was scheduled to face a fierce primary challenge from state Rep. Justin Pearson.
The other closely watched race is for the District 5 seat held by Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, who was on track for a primary challenge from former state official Charlie Hatcher.
- Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder is poised to mount a credible Democratic challenge.
Yes, but: Senate Democrats said in a press release that existing state law and a 2022 opinion by the state Supreme Court make changes to the state's election rules legally questionable.
What we're watching: Time is of the essence, because ballots must soon be sent to Tennessee voters in the military and abroad.