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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision on a case regarding the proper interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), President Trump announced on Thursday that he has spoken directly with Governor Bill Lee, encouraging him to quickly work on redrawing Tennessee’s congressional district maps which would likely result in the disappearance of the state’s sole Democrat district.
In what is being hailed as a victory by Republicans who believe the decision will erase actual racism from redistricting policies, the Justices ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map, which was redrawn to create a second majority-Black district, was an unconstitutional and illegal gerrymander due to the use of racial factors in the redrawing.
In writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito stated, “Correctly understood, Section 2 does not impose liability at odds with the Constitution, and it should not have imposed liability on Louisiana for its 2022 map…Compliance with Section 2 thus could not justify the State’s use of race-based redistricting here.”
This ruling severely restricts Section 2 of the VRA which historically has been misinterpreted to mandate that states specifically create certain congressional districts comprised mainly of minorities, who tend to support Democrats, regardless of how the overall area swings politically. This has resulted in several states, particularly around larger Southern cities, being forced to district in favor of Democrats simply because of a population density of minorities.
In response, several states appear to be seriously considering immediately reworking their current maps to create more accurate representation, and Tennessee may be on that list, especially as President Trump and numerous other Tennessee elected officials seem to agree redistricting is the correct course of action.
Trump posted on social media Thursday, “I had a very good conversation with Governor Bill Lee, of Tennessee, this morning, wherein he stated that he would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw in the Congressional Maps of the Great State of Tennessee. Likewise, all of the other Political Representatives of Tennessee have promised to do so. This should give us one extra seat, and help Save our Country from the Radical Left Democrats, and their [country-destroying] Policies of High Tax, Open Borders, Transgender Mutilization, Defunding the Police, ICE, and Border Patrol, No Voter ID, Soft on Crime, and so much more. Thank you Governor Lee- PUSH HARD!”
Trump’s post seems to indicate that Republican leadership at the state house is also onboard with this plan, though earlier reports could not directly verify that statement. Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton did confirm his office was “reviewing the recent opinion” and having “conversations with the White House and other individuals” while Lt. Gov. Randy McNally stated he believes the current maps are “strong, fair, and legal” but that he would be discussing the topic with other leadership in the coming days.
Senator and gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn has been extremely vocal since Wednesday’s ruling in calling for Tennessee to act on the redistricting and urging Gov. Lee to call a special session of the legislature to get it done. “Redrawing our lines will cement President Trump’s agenda, which is why I’m calling for the state legislature to reconvene for a special session. When I said I was going to make Tennessee America’s conservative leader, I meant it, and we have no time to waste,” she wrote in one of several social media posts supporting the redistricting.
Senator Bill Hagerty, and U.S. Representatives Andy Ogles, Diana Harshbarger, and John Rose, another candidate for Governor, have also expressed their support for Tennessee’s redistricting, which could serve as additional pressure on state lawmakers to make the issue an immediate priority.
“Democrats have been immorally gerrymandering New England for years… They’ve been stealing House seats; the Supreme Court has said racially gerrymandered districts are unconstitutional. And so the South has an opportunity to redraw their maps according to the will of the Governor and the legislative bodies, which is I think what Tennessee’s looking at doing,” Ogles said Thursday.
The idea also seems to be gaining traction amongst members of the Tennessee General Assembly, with several making their own calls to reconvene and implement new maps, including Republican Reps. Jody Barrett and Johnny Garrett and Sens. Brent Taylor and Ken Yager.
“Hey Gov. Lee… one more special session for old time’s sake?” wrote Rep. Barrett.
Rep. Garrett, who is running to replace John Rose in the U.S. House, posted “The Tennessee legislature should reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis. Tennessee should do its part in supporting Donald Trump’s America First Agenda by getting rid of the woke Rep. Cohen.”
Conversely, Democrats are fuming over the SCOTUS decision and push to redraw the lines, calling the ruling which disallows race-based gerrymandering “racist”, “devastating”, and “dangerous”.
Rep. Justin Pearson said, “This is an attack on Black political power… To take away our representation that our ancestors fought for. And so, whether this comes to the state house while I’m there or this fight is happening in the U.S. Congress when I’m serving in District 9, we’re gonna march, we’re gonna protest, we’re gonna speak up, but we are going to have to have solidarity and understanding what is at stake here, and why we cannot yield to the status quo.”
Notably, Pearson is running for Congress to replace Democrat Steve Cohen, though if the redistricting does happen before the midterms, he would likely not win the seat.
Should Lee indeed call the legislature back into session, lawmakers would need to work quickly to change the maps before the Aug. 6 Congressional primaries, though there have been concerns raised about the timing since the qualifying deadlines for these races has already passed.
Though it does seem imminent, as of this writing there are no official confirmations about whether Tennessee will move to implement new maps which would eliminate the Memphis Democrat seat and shift the state’s entire congressional delegation pro-Republican.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
