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Tennessee Republicans approved new congressional maps Thursday that are expected to eliminate the state\u2019s last Democratic seat, triggering protests from activists and outrage from leftists inside the state capitol.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tennessee\u2019s current congressional delegation features eight Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. The plan restructures Memphis by splitting it into three Republican-leaning districts, a move that would likely unseat Cohen. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the map into law shortly after it passed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The maps were passed during a special session called by Lee after the Supreme Court ruled that certain majority-black districts put in place by the Voting Rights Act amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. After that decision, Tennessee joined other Southern states in redrawing maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During the special session, hundreds of leftist activists descended upon the Capitol in Nashville, holding up signs like \u201cBlack Voters Matter,\u201d \u201cSay No To Jim Crow 2.0,\u201d and \u201cModern Apartheid.\u201d<\/p>\n Republicans framed the new maps as a reflection of Tennessee\u2019s political reality. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) celebrated the move as a step toward advancing President Donald Trump\u2019s agenda and strengthening conservative leadership in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great day for Tennessee! Thank you to President<\/span> [Donald Trump] for leading the charge, Governor<\/span> [Bill Lee], and to the legislators who worked quickly and diligently to make this possible,\u201d Blackburn posted on X. \u201cThis is how we cement President Trump\u2019s agenda and usher in America\u2019s Golden Age here in Tennessee, and how we become America\u2019s conservative leader.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n State Rep. Jason Zachary, a Republican, called the maps \u201chistoric,\u201d noting that they could result in a fully Republican congressional delegation alongside the state\u2019s two GOP senators.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time in Tennessee\u2019s history, we will have 9 Republican Congressmen and 2 Republican Senators representing our great state at the nation\u2019s Capitol,\u201d said Zachary. \u201cThis represents our state\u2019s strong conservative principles and TN values.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rep. Cohen, a white man who has represented Memphis for nearly two decades, called the new map \u201cinsane.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe GOP\u2019s newly proposed TN Congressional maps would have people in Shelby County all the way to Williamson County\u2014200+ miles apart\u2014being \u201crepresented\u201d by the same Congressman,\u201d he said Wednesday. \u201cIt\u2019s a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the black community\u2019s and our entire city\u2019s voice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n