Lawsuit says Tennessee’s US House and state Senate maps discriminate against communities of color

By JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee is facing a lawsuit over a congressional redistricting map that carved up Democratic-leaning Nashville to help Republicans flip a seat in last year’s elections. In a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, a variety of civil rights groups and voters say the redistricting tactic has violated the 14th and 15th amendments by diluting the power of Black voters and other communities of color. The map passed in 2022 splintered Nashville into three Republican-majority districts that stretch into rural counties. The lawsuit also challenges state Senate District 31 in majority-Black Shelby County, including part of Memphis. Republican legislative leaders have argued their maps would hold up to legal scrutiny.