New Tennessee map splitting Memphis faces first election test in closely watched primary
By Sadaf Sundas Riaz | SCN NEWS
MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Tennessee voters headed to the polls Thursday in an election that is about far more than choosing party nominees. For the first time, they are voting under a controversial congressional map that carved the Democratic stronghold of Memphis into three separate districts—a Republican-led overhaul that could reshape the state's political landscape for years to come.
The new district boundaries, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature after the 2020 Census, have been at the center of a years-long political and legal battle. Supporters say the map reflects population shifts and creates more balanced districts. Critics argue it was designed to dilute Democratic votes and weaken the influence of Black voters in Memphis, Tennessee's largest majority-Black city.
The primary is the first real-world test of whether the strategy delivers the political results Republicans envisioned.
For decades, Memphis largely anchored a single congressional district represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, making it one of the few reliably Democratic seats in Tennessee. Under the new map, however, the city has been divided among three districts that extend deep into Republican-leaning suburban and rural counties.
Political analysts say the redesign dramatically changes the electoral math.
Instead of concentrating Democratic voters in one district, the new map spreads them across three seats where Republicans hold significant advantages. If the strategy succeeds, Tennessee could become one of the few states where Republicans control every congressional seat, further strengthening the party's position in Washington.
The redistricting battle has also become part of a broader national debate over gerrymandering—the practice of drawing political boundaries in ways that favor one party over another.
Civil rights organizations challenged the map in federal court, arguing it weakened the voting strength of Black communities in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Republican leaders rejected those claims, maintaining that race was not the deciding factor in the redistricting process. Courts have allowed the map to remain in place while legal challenges continue.
Beyond the map itself, the election marks the beginning of a new political era for Memphis.
With longtime Congressman Steve Cohen retiring, voters are choosing candidates to compete for a congressional seat that now looks dramatically different from the one he represented for nearly two decades.
The outcome is expected to provide one of the clearest early indications of how much influence the new map will have on future elections—not only in Tennessee but also in the nationwide fight over congressional redistricting.
Why It Matters
The Tennessee primary is more than a local election. It is the first major test of one of the country's most controversial congressional maps. The results could shape Republican control of the state's House delegation while adding fresh momentum to the national debate over voting rights, minority representation and partisan redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.