Memphis Voters React to Tennessee's New Congressional Map

WHO:

AP - Charlie Hatcher defeated U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a Republican primary for a significantly reshaped congressional district.

AP - Justin Pearson, a Democratic candidate, will face Trump-backed state Sen. Brent Taylor in a revamped Memphis district.

PBS - Quinn Carger expressed frustration over the redistricting, stating, "From a strategic standpoint, it is a great power play by the Republicans here in this state to ensure that Black voices are minimized."

PBS - Rev. Earle Fisher, senior pastor at Memphis' Abyssinian Baptist Church, commented on the redistricting, saying, "What frustrates the average voter about the redistricting is not simply that you had your district cracked, or that you had your vote power diluted."

Fox News - Justin Pearson won the Democrat primary in Tennessee's redrawn 9th Congressional District.

PBS - Quinn Carger, his mother, Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, Rev. Earle Fisher, state Rep. Justin Pearson, Chaz Molder, Joseph Maloney, Neise Green, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, state Sen. John Stevens.

WHAT:

AP - The new 9th District stretches about 200 miles east from Memphis across rural areas before reaching north toward Nashville, with 71% of voters new to the district.

AP - Ogles' campaign faced controversies related to his campaign finances, including the FBI seizing his cellphone in 2024 as part of an investigation.

PBS - The new congressional map splits the 9th Congressional District into three districts, affecting voters who previously voted in the same district.

PBS - The new district now includes 15 counties and extends nearly to Nashville, which is three and a half hours away from Memphis.

PBS - The new 9th District now includes 15 counties and stops just south of Davidson County, home to Nashville, which is a little over three hours away from Memphis by car.

PBS - Approximately 60% of the residents in the old 9th District were Black, while 23% were white, according to the nonprofit Census Reporter.

PBS - Tennessee's congressional map was redrawn, splitting the 9th Congressional District into three districts.

PBS - The new 9th District now includes 15 counties and extends nearly to Nashville, which is over three hours away from Memphis.

PBS - Approximately 58% of residents in the new district are white, and 32% are Black, according to Cook Political Report analysis.

ABC News - The new congressional map debuted in primary elections.

WHERE:

PBS - Memphis, Tennessee; Shelby County, Tennessee; Davidson County, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee.

WHEN:

PBS - Primary elections were scheduled for a Thursday.

PBS - Cohen has represented the 9th District since 2007.

PBS - Pearson was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2023.

WHY:

AP - The redistricting was influenced by a Supreme Court decision that weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.

PBS - The redistricting was perceived as a strategy by Republicans to eliminate Tennessee's only Democratic representative in Congress and dilute the will of the majority-Black city, as stated by multiple Memphis voters.

PBS - The redistricting was perceived as a strategy by Republicans to eliminate Tennessee's only Democratic representative in Congress and dilute the will of the majority-Black city.

PBS - The redistricting was perceived as a strategy by Republicans to minimize Black political power and eliminate Tennessee's only Democratic representative.

PBS - The redistricting followed a Supreme Court decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act.

HOW:

AP - The Tennessee Legislature redrew the congressional map in May, which was part of a broader national plan to maintain Republican control in the midterm elections.

PBS - The Tennessee Legislature changed the boundaries of seven of Tennessee's nine districts, leaving only the easternmost part of the state untouched, as part of the redistricting process.

PBS - The Tennessee Legislature changed the boundaries of seven of Tennessee's nine districts, leaving only the easternmost part of the state untouched.

PBS - The Tennessee Legislature redrew the congressional map, changing the boundaries of seven of Tennessee's nine districts.

PBS - The redistricting process was influenced by partisan politics, as stated by Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 19:50 UTC)

Charlie Hatcher has emerged victorious over U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a Republican primary for a newly drawn congressional district, while Democratic candidate Justin Pearson is set to challenge Trump-backed state Sen. Brent Taylor in a revamped Memphis area. This new 9th District spans approximately 200 miles from Memphis to Nashville, with a striking 71% of its voters being new to the district, following a redistricting process influenced by a Supreme Court decision that weakened protections under the federal Voting Rights Act. The Tennessee Legislature completed the congressional map redraw in May as part of a broader strategy to ensure Republican dominance in upcoming midterm elections.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 12:40 UTC)

In a significant move, the Tennessee Legislature has altered the boundaries of seven out of nine congressional districts, leaving only the easternmost part of the state unchanged. The new congressional map now divides the 9th Congressional District into three separate districts, impacting voters who previously cast their ballots in the same area, and extends nearly to Nashville, which is three and a half hours away from Memphis. Local leaders, including Quinn Carger and Rev. Earle Fisher, have voiced their frustration, highlighting concerns that this redistricting strategy aims to minimize Black voices and dilute the voting power of Memphis residents.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 05:36 UTC)

Justin Pearson has won the Democratic primary in Tennessee's newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, which now encompasses 15 counties and is situated just south of Davidson County, home to Nashville. The redistricting, which altered the boundaries of seven of Tennessee's nine districts, has been viewed as a strategy by Republicans to diminish the influence of the majority-Black city and eliminate the state's only Democratic representative in Congress. In the previous 9th District, approximately 60% of residents were Black, while 23% were white, according to the nonprofit Census Reporter.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 04:01 UTC)

Tennessee's congressional map has been redrawn, splitting the 9th Congressional District into three new districts, with the new 9th now encompassing 15 counties and stretching nearly to Nashville, over three hours from Memphis. This change, which debuted during primary elections, has raised concerns among Democrats, including Rep. Steve Cohen, who has represented the 9th District since 2007, as it is seen as a strategy to diminish Black political power following a Supreme Court decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act. The redistricting process, influenced by partisan politics, altered the boundaries of seven of Tennessee's nine districts, with approximately 58% of residents in the new district identified as white and 32% as Black, according to analysis from the Cook Political Report.