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WATCH: Tennessee Democrats lock arms in protest as state lawmakers vote for new congressional map - PBS NewsHour
Tennessee's Democratic state lawmakers stood against a Republican-led vote Thursday in the General Assembly over redrawing their congressional districts in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Amid chanting, clapping and blasts from air horns by both politicians and the public, the Democratic legislators locked arms and then left the statehouse floor in protest. Outside of the chamber, state Rep. Justin Jones, who represents part of Nashville, lit a small image of the Confederate flag on fire, repeating the words, “We will not go back.”
The legislature passed the new map despite the protests, carving up the majority-Black district that’s home to Memphis, the state’s lone blue seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the map into law Thursday afternoon.
Tennessee is the first state to redraw its voting districts after the U.S. Supreme Court significantly weakened parts of the Voting Rights Act last week. The new map breaks up Tennessee’s former ninth district, which has been represented by Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen since 2007. - Aired on 05/07/2026.