The GOP’s Stunningly Swift Gerrymandering Drive
It took barely a week to wipe a majority-Black district off the map.
TL;DR
- Tennessee has enacted legislation splitting Memphis among three districts, diluting Black votes and likely securing an additional Republican House seat.
- This move is the first GOP response to the Supreme Court's decision in *Louisiana v. Callais*, which weakens enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.
- Other Southern states like Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina are also moving to redraw districts, believing they are no longer required to reserve seats for nonwhite voters.
- The speed of these gerrymandering efforts has been described as astonishing, with Louisiana even suspending primary elections to redraw districts.
- These actions could increase the GOP's chances of retaining its House majority in the upcoming midterm elections.
- Voting-rights advocates express concern that these changes are a deliberate effort to dilute Black political power, echoing historical tactics.