Tennessee
Southern US state where Democrats flipped the 4th and Republicans the redrawn 9th in 2026.
Tennessee voted on 3 November 2026 under a map that eliminated its only Democratic-held congressional district. Governor Bill Lee signed it on 7 May, and a federal panel let it stand on 23 July, ruling the redraw partisan rather than racial.
Last refreshed: 11 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How did Tennessee's new map play out in the 2026 midterms?
Timeline for Tennessee
Mentioned in: Decision Desk HQ puts Democrats on 255
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Missouri map suspended, sent to voters
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Georgia keeps its maps after remand
US Midterms 2026Tennessee map survives its first test
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Sixth Circuit rejects DOJ roll demand
US Midterms 2026Background
Tennessee is a Southern US state that has held a Republican trifecta in state government since 2011, giving Governor Bill Lee's party control of both the legislature and governorship without a divided-government check on redistricting. It was first to move after Louisiana v. Callais removed Voting Rights Act Section 2 protection for majority-minority districts, calling a special session within days of the 29 April ruling. Brookings analyst Vanessa Williamson has called its Memphis carve-up the cleanest case yet of a Black-majority city dispersed to dilute Section 2 protection.
The state sits within the Sixth Circuit's jurisdiction alongside Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. A 24 June 2026 appellate ruling that a 1960 civil rights statute does not entitle the Justice Department to states' unredacted voter rolls binds all four.
Not every Tennessee seat was settled a week after polling day. Decision Desk HQ had still not called the 4th District, held by Republican Scott DesJarlais, on 10 November.
Its map faced no state-law check
Tennessee moved first and fastest after the Supreme Court's Callais ruling of 29 April 2026. Governor Bill Lee called an extraordinary session within 72 hours, and on 7 May he signed a map that carves Memphis and Shelby County across the 5th, 8th and 9th districts, eliminating ten-term Democrat Steve Cohen's majority-Black 9th and leaving all nine seats Republican-leaning, up from seven.
Tennessee's constitution has no Fair Districts equivalent, and the Voting Rights Act Section 2 route closed with Callais. On 23 July a three-judge federal panel declined to block the map, finding the redraw driven by politics rather than race, so it governed the 6 August primary and the November election while a vote-dilution trial continues.
Why did Tennessee call an extraordinary legislative session in May 2026?
What is Tennessee's current congressional seat breakdown?
How quickly can Tennessee pass new congressional maps in an extraordinary session?
Who is Steve Cohen and why is his seat being targeted?
Can Tennessee's new congressional map be challenged in court?
Who won Tennessee's 4th congressional district in 2026?
Who won Tennessee's 9th congressional district in 2026?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 11 November 2026. Editorial standards.