The Tennessee General Assembly convenes a special session Tuesday morning at the Cordell Hull Building in Nashville to take up Governor Bill Lee's call for redrawing the state's Ninth Congressional District. The session was called by proclamation on April 30 following a White House meeting in which Lee was asked to consider mid-decade redistricting. The agenda is limited to the redistricting question and to a related item on Memphis-area economic development.
The Ninth District has been held by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen since 2007. Cohen won most of Memphis. He was reelected in 2024 with 64 percent of the vote. The district is about 62 percent Black voting-age population under the current map drawn after the 2020 census. The plan on the table this week would split Shelby County across three districts. The urban Memphis vote would be spread among rural and suburban districts on either side.
The state's House delegation now sits at eight Republicans and one Democrat. Under the new map, it would shift to nine Republicans and zero Democrats. Cohen filed a statement Friday calling the map a bid to dilute Black voting power. His office is working with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on a preemptive legal strategy in the Western District of Tennessee.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said in a Monday afternoon press availability that the chamber would take up the bill in committee Tuesday afternoon and aim for a floor vote by the end of the week. Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro said Senate Democrats will offer multiple amendments and procedural motions to extend debate. House Speaker Cameron Sexton's office indicated the House is targeting an end-of-week vote pending Senate action.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris both filed statements opposing the special session. The Memphis Clergy Coalition has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday at noon at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. The Tennessee Equity Alliance is holding a Monday evening rally at 6 p.m. CT at the Cordell Hull Building. State Representative Justin J. Pearson, who represents a Memphis-based House district, is scheduled to testify Tuesday afternoon during the House committee hearing.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion in Callais v. Louisiana later this term that could affect the legal framework for the proposed Tennessee map. The Callais case addresses the standard for proving racial intent in redistricting under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Both supporters and opponents of the Tennessee proposal have referenced the Callais ruling as a factor in their litigation timing.
The 2007 federal court ruling in Cohen v. Tennessee, which addressed an earlier version of the district, established that any change to district boundaries cannot reduce the ability of Black voters in Memphis to elect a candidate of their choice. Plaintiffs in any new lawsuit are expected to cite that ruling along with the more recent Allen v. Milligan decision, which the Supreme Court issued in 2023 and which addressed similar questions in Alabama.
The August 6 primary deadline has already passed under Tennessee election law, meaning that any newly drawn map would not affect the 2026 primary calendar without further action by the General Assembly. If a map passes this week and survives initial legal challenges, the new boundaries would apply to the November 2026 general election only. The Tennessee Secretary of State's office has not indicated whether a special primary or extended candidate filing window would be required.
Other Southern states are watching Tennessee closely. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey met with state lawmakers Monday on similar timing. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves will address the issue at a May 20 press event. Louisiana lawmakers are waiting on the Callais ruling. Brookings says mid-decade redistricting could shift four to six U.S. House seats. Republicans now hold a 222-seat House majority.
The state budget item on the agenda includes $87 million for the Department of Safety, 142 new troopers, and $4.2 million for the Memphis Legacy Business grant program. The funding ties in part to federal 287(g) cooperation. The Legacy Business program offers grants of $25,000 to $150,000 to firms operating in Davidson and Shelby counties for at least 25 years. The full text of both items was filed Sunday and is online at the General Assembly site. Senate floor debate on the map is set to begin Wednesday at 9 a.m. CT. The House plans a vote by Friday. Public comment is open Tuesday and Wednesday. Travel and parking near the Capitol may be limited all week. The Tennessee Black Caucus is set to meet at 8 a.m. CT on Tuesday. The state ACLU has staff on site. The Lawyers Committee is monitoring the floor. Live audio of all hearings is on the General Assembly site. The session is the first mid-decade map vote in Tennessee since 2002.
