A Tennessee state court has ruled that a map for the state’s Senate seats, drawn by Republican lawmakers, violated the Tennessee Constitution. The panel of judges found that the districts in Nashville were incorrectly numbered, and ordered the Tennessee legislature to correct this in accordance with the law.
These issues arose from the state redistricting that took place in 2022, which exposed a violation of the Tennessee Constitution clause that states any county with multiple senatorial districts should number them consecutively. However, it was observed that Davidson County, which includes Nashville, failed to do so.
District numbering holds considerable significance in determining the election schedules for the Senate. This can result in some districts being placed on the ballot during the same years as US presidential elections, with others appearing during the Tennessee gubernatorial elections.
In the lawsuit, initiated in February 2022, the plaintiffs – those residing in the disputed district – brought charges against Governor Bill Lee, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, and Tennessee Coordinator of Election Mark Goins. The complaint alleged racial gerrymandering, arguing that the number of minority voters in Nashville and Davidson County was diluted via redistricting techniques. This, they claimed, contravened the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the US Constitution.
Though there were counter-arguments from state attorneys focusing on the plaintiff’s lack of standing to bring their claim to court, ultimately the chancery court judges upheld the House map and ordered a new Senate map to be drawn by January 31, 2024.
The Tennessee Democratic Party vowed to continue fighting for constitutionally valid State House maps, sharing a post declaring their unwavering commitment.
The legislature will meet again on January 9, a session during which they may consider the task of redrawing the Tennessee Senate district map. This decision reflects a growing push for fair and equitable representation across the US, and serves as a reminder to lawmakers of the necessity to uphold constitutional guidelines in redistricting processes.