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Redistricting in Tennessee ahead of the 2026 elections
Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. This article covers redistricting activity in Tennessee after the 2024 elections and before the 2026 elections.
Tennessee's nine United States representatives and 132 state legislators are all elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
Congressional districts
Litigation over congressional redistricting in Tennessee after the 2020 census has concluded.
On February 6, 2022, Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed new congressional districts into law, approving a proposal passed by both chambers of the Tennessee legislature.[1] On January 18, 2022, the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended a congressional district proposal for consideration by the full Senate in a 7-2 vote along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the proposal and all Democrats opposing it.[2] The Senate approved proposals for congressional and Senate maps in a 26-5 party-line vote on January 20.[3] The House approved the congressional plan in a 70-26 party-line vote on January 24.[4] This map took effect for Tennessee's 2022 congressional elections.
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Legislative districts
Litigation over state legislative redistricting in Tennessee after the 2020 census is ongoing.
On November 22, 2023, the Davidson County Chancery Court struck down the state Senate map, declaring it unconstitutional. The court ordered the state to create a new state Senate map by January 31, 2024.[5] The Tennessee Supreme Court stayed the lower court's order, keeping the state Senate map in place for the 2024 elections.[6] On April 13, 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed a ruling by the Davidson County Chancery Court on April 6, blocking the same state Senate map. Gov. Lee signed the state's legislative districts into law on February 6, 2022.[1]
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For a complete overview of redistricting in Tennessee after the 2020 census, click here.
Summary
This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.
Court challenges
Davidson County Chancery Court declares state senate map unconstitutional
On November 22, 2023, the Davidson County Chancery Court struck down the state Senate map, declaring it unconstitutional. The court ordered the state to create a new state Senate map by January 31, 2024.[8] The Tennessee Supreme Court stayed the lower court's order, keeping the state Senate map in place for the 2024 elections.[9]
On April 13, 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed a ruling by the Davidson County Chancery Court on April 6, blocking the same state senate map.[10] Three individuals filed the original lawsuit on February 23, saying the state's legislative maps violated the Tennessee constitution by non-consecutively numbering Senate districts in Davidson County. The state filed a motion to appeal on April 7, with the Tennessee Court of Appeals.[11]
For more information about redistricting lawsuits in Tennessee, click here.
Enacted maps
Enacted congressional district maps
On February 6, 2022, Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed new congressional districts into law, approving a proposal passed by both chambers of the Tennessee legislature.[1] On January 18, 2022, the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended a congressional district proposal for consideration by the full Senate in a 7-2 vote along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the proposal and all Democrats opposing it.[2] The Senate approved proposals for congressional and Senate maps in a 26-5 party-line vote on January 20.[3] The House approved the congressional plan in a 70-26 party-line vote on January 24.[4] This map took effect for Tennessee's 2022 congressional elections.
On November 15, 2021, Tennessee Democrats released a congressional district map keeping major cities like Nashville whole and putting Williamson, Rutherford, and Wilson counties in the state's fourth congressional district.[12] The House Select Committee on Redistricting released a proposal on January 12, 2022.[13]
Enacted state legislative district maps
On November 22, 2023, the Davidson County Chancery Court struck down the state Senate map, declaring it unconstitutional. The court ordered the state to create a new state Senate map by January 31, 2024.[14] On April 13, 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed a ruling by the Davidson County Chancery Court on April 6, blocking the same state Senate map. Gov. Lee signed the state's legislative districts into law on February 6, 2022.[15]
On January 18, 2022, the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended state legislative proposals for consideration by the full Senate in a 7-2 vote along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the proposals and all Democrats opposing them.[16] The Senate approved proposals for congressional and Senate maps in a 26-5 party-line vote on January 20, 2022.[17] On January 26, 2022, the Tennessee Senate approved the state House plan.[18] These maps took effect for Tennessee's 2022 legislative elections.
On December 14, 2021, the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Redistricting released five state Senate plans and four congressional plans submitted by the public.[19] The Tennessee House Select Committee on Redistricting voted to approve a proposal for House districts, HB 1035, on December 17, 2021.[20] The ad-hoc Senate committee released a state Senate plan on January 13.[21]
See also
- Redistricting in Tennessee after the 2020 census
- Redistricting in Louisiana after the 2010 census
- Redistricting in Tennessee
- State-by-state redistricting procedures
- Majority-minority districts
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- All About Redistricting
- Dave's Redistricting
- FiveThirtyEight, "What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State"
- National Conference of State Legislatures, "Redistricting Process"
- FairVote, "Redistricting"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Tennessean, "Gov. Bill Lee signs redistricting bills dividing Davidson County into three congressional districts," February 7, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Washington Examiner, "Tennessee redistricting maps sent to full Senate for vote," January 19, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Tennessean, "Tennessee senators approve new congressional, Senate districts; House to vote Monday," January 20, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Tennessean, "Tennessee House Republicans approve redistricting plan to divide Davidson County into three congressional districts," January 24, 2022
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Judges rule Tennessee Senate map unconstitutional, order legislature to redraw by Jan. 31," November 22, 2023
- ↑ Nashville Banner, "Tennessee Supreme Court Hears Fight Over How Legislative Districts Were Drawn," October 4, 2024
- ↑ San Diego Union-Tribune, "Tennessee Supreme Court blocks decision to redraw state’s Senate redistricting maps," December 8, 2023
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Judges rule Tennessee Senate map unconstitutional, order legislature to redraw by Jan. 31," November 22, 2023
- ↑ Nashville Banner, "Tennessee Supreme Court Hears Fight Over How Legislative Districts Were Drawn," October 4, 2024
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Gov. Bill Lee signs redistricting bills dividing Davidson County into three congressional districts," February 7, 2022
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Tennessee appeals redistricting ruling after judges block Senate map," April 7, 2021
- ↑ The Tennessee Journal, "Dems submit congressional redistricting plan," November 15, 2021
- ↑ Washington Examiner, "Proposed Tennessee congressional map splits Davidson County three ways," January 13, 2022
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Judges rule Tennessee Senate map unconstitutional, order legislature to redraw by Jan. 31," November 22, 2023
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Gov. Bill Lee signs redistricting bills dividing Davidson County into three congressional districts," February 7, 2022
- ↑ Washington Examiner, "Tennessee redistricting maps sent to full Senate for vote," January 19, 2022
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Tennessee senators approve new congressional, Senate districts; House to vote Monday," January 20, 2022
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Senate clears final redistricting map, Memphis and Knoxville House Democrats drawn together," January 26, 2022
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Senate redistricting panel hears public proposals without releasing committee draft," December 14, 2021
- ↑ Williamson Herald, "Tennessee House panel adopts new redistricting plan," December 20, 2021
- ↑ Axios, "Subdued Tennessee Senate redistricting maps released," January 14, 2022
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