The Tennessee House of Representatives passed HB7003 on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 75 to 24, sending the congressional redistricting bill to the state Senate for a floor vote scheduled Thursday morning at nine. The bill redraws the 9th Congressional District currently held by Democrat Steve Cohen, dividing Memphis between three Republican-leaning districts and reducing the Black voting age population in the 9th from 64 percent to approximately 38 percent.
The vote followed the timeline laid out by House Speaker Cameron Sexton during Tuesday's special session opening. The bill was filed Monday afternoon by Representative William Lamberth. The House Civil Justice Committee passed the bill 12-7 on Tuesday afternoon along party lines. The full House debated the bill for approximately two hours Wednesday before the floor vote.
Within two hours of passage, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The complaint names Governor Bill Lee, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, and the Tennessee Election Commission as defendants. The plaintiffs argue HB7003 violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment by intentionally diluting Black voting strength in Memphis.
The lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of the new map before the August 6 candidate filing deadline for 2026 federal primaries. Judge Sheryl Lipman, an Obama appointee, has scheduled an initial scheduling conference for Friday morning. A preliminary injunction hearing is expected within fourteen days of the filing.
Representative Justin Pearson, Democrat from Memphis, addressed the chamber during floor debate Wednesday. Pearson stated the proposed map intentionally divides historically Black Memphis neighborhoods including Orange Mound, South Memphis, and parts of Frayser between three districts where Black voters would be a minority of total voters.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris released a joint statement Wednesday afternoon. The statement said the map fragments the city across three congressional districts and ends seventy-five years of unified Memphis representation in Congress. Mayor Young confirmed the city will file an amicus brief supporting the federal lawsuit.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office released a brief statement Wednesday confirming his office will defend HB7003 in federal court. Skrmetti stated his office reviewed the proposed map prior to filing and concluded it complies with federal law. The statement referenced the U.S. Supreme Court's April 29 decision in Callais v. Landry.
The Brookings Institution released analysis Wednesday afternoon estimating HB7003 would convert one Democratic-held seat to a Republican-held seat in the 2026 elections. Across Tennessee, Alabama, and other states pursuing similar redistricting following the Callais ruling, Brookings projects four to six total Republican House seat gains nationwide. The current U.S. House majority sits at 222 Republicans to 213 Democrats.
The Tennessee Senate vote on HB7003 is scheduled for Thursday at nine in the morning. The Senate has 27 Republicans and 6 Democrats. The bill is expected to pass on a party-line vote of 27 to 6. Governor Lee has indicated he will sign the bill within hours of Senate passage. Lee's office confirmed a signing ceremony will not be held.
Representative Steve Cohen of the 9th District released a statement Wednesday evening. Cohen stated he intends to seek reelection in whichever district contains his current residence under the new map, which is expected to be the 8th District. Cohen has held the 9th District seat since 2007.
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Common Cause Tennessee announced they will file separate amicus briefs supporting the NAACP LDF lawsuit. The Equity Alliance, a Nashville-based civil rights organization, organized a rally Wednesday afternoon at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis with approximately eight hundred attendees.
The federal preliminary injunction hearing scheduling will determine whether the new map can be used in the 2026 elections. The August 6 candidate filing deadline gives the court approximately ninety days to rule. The U.S. Department of Justice has not announced whether it will file a statement of interest.
Tennessee is the second state to pass new congressional maps following the Callais ruling. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed similar legislation Monday. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has indicated he will introduce a redistricting bill before the May 20 deadline.
