Memphis, Tennessee - Tennessee Republicans on Wednesday unveiled their proposal for a new redistricting congressional map that would give them a huge helping hand in future elections.
The new map, which the Tennessee Senate GOP shared in an X post on Wednesday, seeks to split up majority-Black Shelby County – which includes Memphis – into three districts in an effort to get rid of the state's lone Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen.
According to Politico, the supermajority Republican leadership in both chambers supports the measure, and it is expected to pass sometime on Thursday.
Tennessee joins a number of states that have been attempting to redraw congressional maps to benefit a certain party after Texas became the first to do so last year in a boost for Republicans.
The latest efforts come after the Supreme Court ruled last week to limit the use of race in drawing electoral districts.
The decision marked a significant shift in how courts interpret the balance between preventing racial discrimination and adhering to constitutional guarantees of equal protection, raising the bar for when race can be considered in redistricting.
Is the redistricting effort racially motivated?
Tennessee Republicans have profusely argued that their efforts are not focused on race but instead fall in line with the court's new ruling. The state's Speaker of the House, Cameron Sexton, argued the ruling indicated redistricting "should be color-blind," and states can now do so "based off partisan politics."
State Democrats, conversely, argue that it is indeed about race. Congressman Justin Pearson described it as "an attack on our Black majority district," adding, "Everyone knows why this is happening."
Rep. Cohen, who could soon lose his seat, called it "insane" and "a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the Black community's and our entire city's voice."