Key Takeaways
- • Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen announced plans to file a lawsuit in state court challenging a newly enacted congressional redistricting map that fragments the state's sole majority-Black district across three separate House districts.
- • The Republican-backed redistricting plan divides Shelby County into three districts (District 5 stretching from Memphis north to Franklin; District 8 covering Midtown and East Memphis extending northeast; District 9 spanning South Memphis to Moore County), eliminating the consolidated voting power Cohen currently represents in District 9.
- • Cohen characterizes the redistricting as racially motivated, arguing that the map deliberately dilutes Black voter influence by distributing Black voters across three districts where they would constitute minorities rather than majorities capable of electing preferred candidates.
- • The redistricting follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Louisiana's congressional map that restricted states' ability to create majority-Black districts under Voting Rights Act compliance, significantly altering the legal landscape and emboldening Republican-controlled states to challenge existing Democratic-held majority-minority districts.
- • Cohen's legal challenge aims to preserve District 9 as a majority-minority district through the 2028 election cycle, with multiple plaintiffs reportedly prepared to join the state court lawsuit.
Summary
Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen announced Thursday his intention to file a lawsuit challenging a newly enacted congressional redistricting map approved by Republican lawmakers. The legal action targets what Cohen characterizes as a deliberate dilution of the state's sole majority-Black congressional district through geographic fragmentation.
The Republican-backed redistricting plan divides Shelby County—the region encompassing Memphis and its surrounding areas—into three separate House districts. Under the new map, District 5 stretches from downtown Memphis northward and eastward into Franklin; District 8 encompasses parts of Midtown and East Memphis, extending northeast into Perry County; and District 9, which Cohen currently represents, spans South Memphis and extends east to Lynchburg in Moore County. This restructuring eliminates the consolidated geographic and demographic footprint that previously characterized Cohen's district.
Cohen's legal challenge rests on a racial discrimination argument. In public statements, he alleged that map designers deliberately distributed Black voters across the three districts in proportions that would render Black voters a minority in each rather than a majority capable of determining electoral outcomes. "Somebody who drew the map or told the guy to draw the map, because they do it with computers, somebody told him divide the Black vote up in the three districts to where they are a minority, and they don't have enough influence to elect a member of their own choosing," Cohen stated to FOX13.
The legal context strengthens Republican appetite for such redistricting. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on Louisiana's congressional map determined that the state had relied too heavily on race in creating a second Black-majority district ostensibly to comply with the Voting Rights Act. This ruling significantly altered decades of established legal precedent, providing Republican-controlled states with judicial grounds to challenge and eliminate majority-Black districts that have historically elected Democratic representatives. Tennessee Republicans appear to have leveraged this shifting legal landscape to justify their redistricting action.
Cohen's lawsuit, to be filed in state court, will include multiple plaintiffs beyond the congressman himself. He indicated the legal challenge targets preservation of District 9 as a majority-minority district through the 2028 election cycle, suggesting the litigation strategy aims for immediate judicial intervention rather than long-term restructuring.
The Republican-backed redistricting plan divides Shelby County—the region encompassing Memphis and its surrounding areas—into three separate House districts. Under the new map, District 5 stretches from downtown Memphis northward and eastward into Franklin; District 8 encompasses parts of Midtown and East Memphis, extending northeast into Perry County; and District 9, which Cohen currently represents, spans South Memphis and extends east to Lynchburg in Moore County. This restructuring eliminates the consolidated geographic and demographic footprint that previously characterized Cohen's district.
Cohen's legal challenge rests on a racial discrimination argument. In public statements, he alleged that map designers deliberately distributed Black voters across the three districts in proportions that would render Black voters a minority in each rather than a majority capable of determining electoral outcomes. "Somebody who drew the map or told the guy to draw the map, because they do it with computers, somebody told him divide the Black vote up in the three districts to where they are a minority, and they don't have enough influence to elect a member of their own choosing," Cohen stated to FOX13.
The legal context strengthens Republican appetite for such redistricting. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on Louisiana's congressional map determined that the state had relied too heavily on race in creating a second Black-majority district ostensibly to comply with the Voting Rights Act. This ruling significantly altered decades of established legal precedent, providing Republican-controlled states with judicial grounds to challenge and eliminate majority-Black districts that have historically elected Democratic representatives. Tennessee Republicans appear to have leveraged this shifting legal landscape to justify their redistricting action.
Cohen's lawsuit, to be filed in state court, will include multiple plaintiffs beyond the congressman himself. He indicated the legal challenge targets preservation of District 9 as a majority-minority district through the 2028 election cycle, suggesting the litigation strategy aims for immediate judicial intervention rather than long-term restructuring.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.