Tennessee GOP Seeks To Redraw Congressional Districts

NASHVILLE (May 1) — Under intense pressure from national and state Republican leaders, the Tennessee General Assembly is set to convene a special legislative session on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. The primary objective is a mid-cycle redistricting effort designed to eliminate the state’s 9th Congressional District—the final Democratic stronghold in Tennessee, currently centered in Memphis.

The move follows a directive from Governor Bill Lee, who issued the proclamation on May 1 at the urging of President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn. Supporters frame the redistricting push as a necessary step to “cement the America First agenda” by securing an all-Republican congressional delegation for the state.

The legislature last redrew the state’s lines in 2022, a process that split Nashville into three separate districts, successfully flipping the 5th District to Republican control and leaving Tennessee with an 8-1 GOP advantage.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), a candidate for Governor, said, “I urge the state legislature to reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis. It’s essential to cement President Trump’s agenda and the Golden Age of America. I’ve vowed to keep Tennessee a red state, and as Governor, I’ll do everything I can to make this map a reality.”

This new, mid-decade effort targets the 9th District, a majority-minority seat currently held by Representative Steve Cohen (D-Memphis). If successful, the proposed maps would likely carve the Memphis metro area into multiple Republican-leaning rural districts, potentially leaving Tennessee without a single Democratic representative in Washington for the first time in modern history.

Critics claim this is an effort by legislators to choose the voters, rather than the voters choosing the legislators.

The timing of the session is particularly contentious, coinciding with local primary elections in Shelby County. Democrats have decried the move as a “light the Voting Rights Act on fire” moment.

“By again bending the knee to a president desperate for help, our governor is abusing his power to try and rig elections and silence the voice of Tennesseans,” said State Representative John Ray Clemmons, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Republicans argue that a recent April 2026 Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais—which weakened certain protections under the Voting Rights Act—provides the legal opening to redraw the map without the previous constraints regarding majority-minority districts.

Key Deadlines for the November 2026 Election

Because the special session is redrawing districts just months before the election, the legislature is expected to adjust several administrative deadlines.

Here are the emails of the representatives for Carroll County:

State Senator John Stevens sen.john.stevens@capitol.tn.gov

Representative Brock Martin rep.brock.martin@capitol.tn.gov

Representative Tandy Darby rep.tandy.darby@capitol.tn.gov