Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee launches controversial special session to wipe out state’s last Democratic stronghold

Protesters in Tennessee will gather on Tuesday to oppose Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) redistricting special session, which aims to eliminate the last Democrat-held congressional seat in the state.

Although the Tennessee General Assembly adjourned for the year on April 23, Lee announced that the redistricting special session will begin on Tuesday for the state legislature to review the state’s congressional map.

“We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters,” Lee said in a statement last Friday. “After consultation with the Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Attorney General and Secretary of State, I believe the General Assembly has a responsibility to review the map and ensure it remains fair, legal and defensible.”

Democrats blast power grab

Last Sunday, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) sat down with Action News 5 in Memphis to criticize the Republican power play and a new map proposed by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Blackburn, who is running for governor this year since Lee is term limited, proposed a map where all nine of Tennessee’s congressional seats would be controlled by Republicans, effectively drawing Cohen’s seat out of existence.

“One district will go all the way to Chattanooga, one will go all the way to Nashville, and the other one across the Tennessee River, and Memphis will be an afterthought. And it will cost us a minimum of 25 million dollars a year in community grants, and maybe more in constituent services,” Cohen said.

On Monday, state Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) made a social media post calling for Tennesseans to rally in the state Capitol to protest Tuesday’s special session. Johnson said Republicans are “trying to cheat their way into permanent power” in Tennessee.

“Instead of earning votes, they want to rig a map that makes sure that Black votes don’t count. This is Jim Crow with a sharpie,” Johnson said.

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Republican leaders embracing more gerrymandering

Lee’s announcement came two days after the Supreme Court of the United States significantly weakened a portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Louisiana v. Callais decision throws out the requirement that southern states must have at least one district comprised of minority voters in the U.S. House and state legislatures. With the protection gone, Tennessee could legally eliminate Cohen’s district in Memphis, Tenn. and deny representation to a district where 61% of the population is Black.

GOP leaders in the state legislature support the plan, including Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R), who presides over the Tennessee state Senate.

“We are in a historic moment that demands bold action. Tennessee now has the opportunity to send another Republican voice to Washington. We intend to seize it,” McNally said on Sunday.

Republicans are looking to eliminate the seat before the 2026 midterm elections and give Republicans a greater chance of keeping the U.S. House of Representatives. The map would need to be in place before Tennessee’s primary elections on Aug. 6. The qualifying deadline for U.S. House races has already passed.

The state legislature already deleted a Democrat-held congressional district in Nashville when it adopted a new map after the 2020 Census. Prior to that new map adopted in 2022, Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District was held by a Democratic lawmaker since 1875.

Blackburn vowed to ensure a 9-0 map is adopted in Tennessee to “cement President Donald Trump’s agenda and the Golden Age of America.”

I urge our state legislature to reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis. It's essential to cement @realDonaldTrump’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… pic.twitter.com/qljW0mxiqG

— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) April 29, 2026