Tennessee redistricting isn't a temporary setback |
It should surprise no one who follows Tennessee politics that the state was the first out of the gate to ram through a mid-decade congressional redistricting map mere days after the landmark Supreme Court ruling gutting a key portion of the Voting Rights Act.
The Volunteer State’s progression as arguably the South’s most reliable and unyielding Republican stronghold has been building for nearly a quarter-century.
A majority of the electorate that in the past rewarded both Democrats and Republicans equally is now considered solidly in step with the GOP’s far-right wing. Except, that is, in a couple of places – notably, Shelby County and its main city, Memphis.
How Tennessee evolved from blue to purple to bloodthirsty red is rooted in the loss of rural moderate Democrats, the intransigence of top Republicans and the unrelenting demonization of Memphis, particularly its Black residents who make up 64% of the city’s population.
Tennessee's progression toward disenfranchisement
It all came together during a special legislative session on May 7 when the Republican supermajority, within three days, surgically dismantled the majority Black district that has been in the hands of Democrats since January 1975.
To make it happen so swiftly, Republicans also changed a state law banning reapportionment of congressional districts in the middle of a decade and dispensed with residency requirements to run for congressional seats.
GOP lawmakers kept the new district........