If the new District 9 maps recently drawn up by state Republicans withstand legal scrutiny, voters in Memphis and Shelby County could be in store for historic results come November.
Congressional maps were recently redrawn by Republican lawmakers during a special session called at the request of Republican Gov. Bill Lee last week.
Critics argue the lines were crafted to end the Democratic Party’s dominance in the state’s only district with a majority Black population. The overhaul also splits Shelby County among three congressional districts — the 5th, 8th and 9th — ending decades of Memphis-centered representation under a compact urban district. If that happens, Republicans will send a 9-0 delegation to Congress next session.
“They want to diminish the Black voter base of Memphis for the benefit of the Republican Party,” condemned District 9 Rep. Steve Cohen.
Created following the 1980 census, District 9 has been represented by a Democrat in Congress for the entirety of its 45-plus years. Cohen was first elected in 2007.
The effort follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Louisiana congressional districts that critics say weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act and opened the door for states to pursue new redistricting efforts.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 bans discriminatory voting practices adopted in many Southern states during the Jim Crow era. These include poll taxes, literacy tests and racial gerrymandering.
Cohen, the Tennessee NAACP, the state Democratic Party and the ACLU have sued to stop the new maps from being implemented. If that fails, District 9 will significantly increase in size. Gone is the compact urban district.
The boundary currently makes up almost 770 square miles. It encompasses the urban core of Memphis and some of its suburbs. This includes splitting representation of citizens of Bartlett, Collierville and parts of Memphis with District 8. District 9 also includes all of Millington.
It also stretches into nearby Tipton County, including Burlison, Garland, Gilt Edge, Munford and Randolph. Cohen also represents parts of Atoka, Brighton and Covington with his District 8 counterpart, Dave Kustoff-R.
Under the new map, only the southern edge of the district near the Mississippi border remains largely intact. But the new District 9 no longer reaches the Mississippi River. That land belongs to District 5. The remainder of the old boundary was split between District 5 and District 8.
The new lines extend over 200 miles from Memphis. In fact, the new boundary is so expansive it connects Bluff City with Nashville. In addition to Shelby County, lawmakers included 14 counties that run along the border with Mississippi.
The new lines will radically alter demographics too. Over 60% of the population within the current boundary is Black, followed by 25% White. Hispanics and Asians largely make up the rest of the racial mix, at 9% and 2% respectively.
Every new county included in the district is majority white. Furthermore, most are predominantly so. Eastern portions of the redrawn district include Williamson County. The Nashville suburb is the wealthiest county in the state. Shelby County ranks about 27th to 29th in wealth out of the state’s 95 counties.
The effort has not only endangered Cohen’s seat, but the ambitions of another local politician. State Rep. Justin Pearson is currently running in the 2026 Democratic primary to unseat Cohen. Under the newly drawn map, both Cohen and Pearson now reside outside the reconfigured 9th District boundaries, though both have indicated they still intend to run in the district if the maps survive court challenges.
The outspoken lawmaker verbally confronted conservative colleagues — and state police — during a protest at the state Capitol after the vote.
Candidates now face a compressed timeline to decide whether to remain in their current races, switch districts or relocate while multiple lawsuits challenging the maps remain unresolved. They have until noon Friday, May 15, to withdraw from or qualify for races under the newly adopted district lines unless a court intervenes.
Despite the legal uncertainty, several candidates have already begun positioning themselves under the new district lines. State Sen. Brent Taylor has pulled a petition to run in the Republican primary for the reconfigured 9th District, while state Sen. London Lamar has explored a Democratic bid. Outgoing Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn has pulled a petition in the newly redrawn 8th District, and Memphis City Council member Yolanda Cooper-Sutton has taken steps toward a Democratic run in the new 5th District.
For the most part, Republicans from the local level all the way to the White House appear supportive of the pre-census overhaul. President Trump has been supportive of every Republican effort. So have many of his MAGA allies.
“I urge our state legislature to reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis. It’s essential to cement (Trump’s) agenda and the Golden Age of America. I’ve vowed to keep Tennessee a red state, and as governor, I’ll do everything I can to make this map a reality,” wrote Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
The second-term senator is currently running in the GOP 2026 gubernatorial primary to succeed Lee.
Closer to home, some seem downright giddy. Taylor announced his decision to run immediately after the redistricting vote on Thursday, May 7. The Eads Republican sponsored the Senate version of the law, SB7004.
“Tennessee’s new congressional map has created an opportunity to deliver a strong Republican voice to Congress and secure a brighter, safer and more conservative future for our state and our country, and I’m ready to be that leader,” Taylor said.
