On January 24, 2022, Tennessee lawmakers gave fresh electoral maps ultimate approval for the Senate and the state’s congressional districts.
The map will divide Davidson County in Tennessee into three congressional districts in what will be a major development. The Democratic Party stronghold had secured a reliably Democratic fifth Congressional District in Tennessee for generations, even as it appears that three Republicans represent the city. The district in Tennessee takes on a lot of conservative counties including GOP-leaning Williamson County, whereas the strongly Republican sixth Congressional District and seventh Congressional District will soon expand into the City of Nashville.
The Tennessee House of Representatives voted for the maps, following their Senate counterparts that approved the new maps. It approved another map as well, which the state Senate is supposed to approve soon.
Republicans control supermajorities in the Tennessee House of Representatives and the state Senate. Therefore, it was pretty much certain that their approved plans would be passed, despite opposition from civil rights activists and Democrats who argued that splitting Nashville city would compromise the political power of non-white communities.
Republican Harold Love stated that splitting up Tennessee’s Davidson County may diminish the impact of Black American voters.
We still do not know whether Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee would approve the legislation making those new maps, even as he suggested that he did not have any issue with them.
Senator Jack Johnson and Representative Pat Marsh denied that dividing Nashville city was a bid to offer Republicans an additional seat in the congressional delegation from the state. Instead, they stated that people in Nashville city should now be excited about having three representatives to turn to.
Jim Cooper has acted as a fifth Congressional District representative for a long time. In the state redistricting process, Cooper repeatedly encouraged GOP members to avoid altering his district.
Cooper’s campaign spokeswoman Katie Jackson stated that Cooper is exploring all possible ways of preventing the so-called gerrymandering of the city. As for Jackson, if the gerrymandering is unstoppable, Cooper would explore all ways possible to aid himself and other Democrats in winning each of the districts where Nashville city is fenced.
Local activist Odessa Kelly who challenges Cooper in Tennessee’s Democratic primary, is a resident of one of Nashville’s other districts. Candidates can compete in the districts where they no longer live. Kelly has not confirmed whether she would compete in her new congressional district or stay in the fifth District race.
Kelly also stated that what the Republican Party desires may turn out to be problematic if it were to come true. As for Kelly, the US progressive movement understands in what way to organize. Whether you live in the suburbs, a rural area or an urban place, Kelly stated that the party comes with a plan to bring the laboring class together around government policies working for everyone.
In the Tennessee House of Representatives, Republicans paired many Democratic officials together, though paired incumbents from Davidson County were placed back in different districts. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Senate did not put officials in one district.