Tennessee approves new congressional map that dissolves majority Black district
Updated on: May 7, 2026 / 8:33 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- Tennessee Republican lawmakers approved a new congressional map that splits the state's only Democratic-represented district.
- The new map divides Memphis, a majority Black city, into three districts, which is expected to favor Republicans.
- Governor Bill Lee signed the bill into law after the legislature overturned a ban on mid-decade redistricting.
- Democrats strongly objected to the map, calling it "theft" and an attempt to silence Black voters.
- The redistricting move is part of a broader national trend of states redrawing maps to gain partisan advantage, following a recent Supreme Court decision.