The NAACP filed a federal lawsuit against Tennessee, accusing the state of intentionally discriminating against Black voters with its new congressional map. The complaint, filed in Nashville, claims the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by diluting minority voting power.
Tennessee's redistricting plan split Davidson County, home to Nashville's largest Black population, into three separate congressional districts. This move effectively dismantled the historically Democratic Fifth Congressional District, which had consistently elected Representative Jim Cooper. The redrawn boundaries gave Republicans control over eight of Tennessee's nine U.S. House seats, a gain of one seat from the previous map.
Republican supermajorities in both the Tennessee House and Senate pushed the map through with minimal Democratic input, overcoming objections from civil rights groups. The NAACP alleges this was not an accidental outcome but a deliberate strategy to marginalize Black voters.
State-level Republican campaign committees, including the House Republican Campaign Committee, spent over $3 million during the 2022 election cycle to secure the legislative supermajorities necessary for map control. These funds came from corporate PACs and individual donors.
The NAACP's lawsuit seeks a federal court order to declare the current map unconstitutional and mandate a new, compliant map drawn before the 2026 election. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund will bear the financial burden of this challenge, potentially reaching millions of dollars. The investment reflects the high stakes: securing congressional seats translates directly into influence over federal spending, regulatory policy and committee assignments.
