As protesters accused them of racial gerrymandering, Tennessee state lawmakers passed into law on Thursday a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to flip the state\u2019s lone Democratic-held seat, notching the GOP another win in the mid-decade redistricting scramble.<\/p>\n
Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The session was interrupted by chaotic scenes with lawmakers shouting over protesters’ voices and at one point forcing police clear the balcony above the House floor before it voted on the new map.<\/p>\n
![\"Congress\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/cff60861-e8cd-479d-9914-2dd8840d9b5b\/tn-election-4-rt-gmh-260507_1778174651715_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"Congress\\"")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>State troopers ask demonstrators to leave the House gallery as they protest efforts by the state’s Republican leadership in redistricting congressional election maps on the last day of a special session in Nashville, Tennessee, May 7, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Seth Herald\/Reuters<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The new map breaks up the state\u2019s current 9th Congressional District, which is primarily made up of Memphis, and the state\u2019s only majority-Black district. The district is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen.<\/p>\n The legislature also passed bills on Thursday that will allow the state to legally redistrict outside of the normal once-a-decade cycle, as well as providing funding to help implement the new map in time for the 2026 elections.<\/p>\n With the map passed, it paves the way for President Donald Trump and Republicans to gain an additional House seat in the next Congress, increasing their chances of maintaining control of the House as they continue their redistricting battle across the country.<\/p>\n Tennessee Democrats will likely not have any representation in Congress next year if Republicans flip the seat and the map will dilute the Black vote by breaking up Memphis.<\/p>\n But legal challenges against the map are expected.<\/p>\n Cohen said Thursday he will file a lawsuit against the new map.<\/p>\n Cohen posted on X after the vote<\/a> “[President Donald] Trump knows he HAS TO rig the game to keep his majority in November. And the TN GOP was willing to go along with it. It\u2019s shameful.\u00a0Next stop is the courts.”<\/p>\n Cohen had said earlier this week on CNN that the Republicans’ redistricting effort was a foregone conclusion, adding that he hopes the new congressional map can take\u00a0effect in 2028 rather than 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n Democratic state representative Justin J. Pearson and his brother KeShaun Pearson are removed from the gallery after taking part in a silent sit-in protesting efforts by the state’s Republican leadership in redistricting congressional election maps on the last day of a special session in Nashville, Tennessee, May 7, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Seth Herald\/Reuters<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The speed at which the process occurred was remarkable — it was only last week that the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, dealing a blow to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n And just one day after the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, Trump posted on Truth Social that he spoke with Lee and that the governor said he would work to redraw the state\u2019s congressional maps in order to net another GOP seat for Tennessee in the House. Lee called a special session the next day, April 30, to review the state’s congressional map.<\/p>\n Potential redistricting efforts are also currently underway in Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina, although each state has different procedural or legal barriers to overcome.<\/p>\n With Tennessee’s new map, Republicans potentially could flip 14 Democratic-held seats in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida. Democrats could pick up 10 from new maps passed in California, Utah and Virginia.<\/p>\n The proposed congressional map underwent much acrimonious debate and protest inside the legislature on Thursday before it was passed.<\/p>\n On the House floor, Democratic representatives condemned the map, saying it would dilute the Black vote in the state. At one point, chants of “our house!” started in the House gallery.<\/p>\n As the vote came up for the new map on the House side, chaos erupted in the room. A trooper was asked to clear out the balcony above the House floor as people protested.<\/p>\n Earlier, Democratic State Rep. Justin Pearson, who is running for Congress in the 9th\u00a0District that will be broken up on the new map, said that \u201cwhat is happening here is immoral and wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Demonstrators gather in the House gallery protesting efforts by the state’s Republican leadership in redistricting congressional election maps on the last day of a special session in Nashville, Tennessee, May 7, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Seth Herald\/Reuters<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThis is about attacking, targeting and cracking District 9 into pieces for more political and racial dominance and white supremacy in the state of Tennessee.\u00a0And we need to realize that the\u00a0Callais\u00a0<\/em>decision that you all are basing your decisions off of that gutted the Voting Rights Act, that that Voting Rights Act was paid in blood,\u201d Pearson said.<\/p>\nImpact on the midterms and representation in Congress<\/h3>\n
![\"PHOTO:](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/a78425c8-e260-43c3-b15b-f0a7cc73ef1b\/tn-election-3-rt-gmh-260507_1778174651260_hpMain.jpg?w=375)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>Acrimonious debate and protests in the state capitol<\/h3>\n
![\"Governor\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/866cd0bd-1339-4a09-9a30-f2762cc5505a\/tn-election-2-rt-gmh-260507_1778174650351_hpMain_4x3.jpg?w=375 "\\"Governor\\"")
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