Trump allies notch redistricting win as judges find no 'smoking gun' to scrap red state map

A redrawn Tennessee legislature representation expected to springiness Republicans a 9-0 advantage successful legislature seats will stay successful spot for nan state's Aug. 6 primary, handing President Donald Trump and his friends different triumph arsenic they activity to sphere nan GOP's House mostly up of nan midterm elections.

A three-judge sheet connected Thursday denied a petition for a preliminary injunction revenge by a group of Black Tennessee voters and civilian authorities organizations, who based on nan representation intentionally sought to weaken nan powerfulness of Black voters.

The suit stems from Tennessee lawmakers redrawing nan state's legislature representation during a typical convention successful May aft nan Supreme Court's ruling successful Louisiana v. Callais, which made it harder to challenge redistricting plans connected group favoritism grounds. The caller representation divided Memphis and Shelby County into 3 legislature districts, efficaciously dismantling Tennessee's only majority-Black district. Republican lawmakers said nan extremity was to create a representation that favored Republicans successful each 9 legislature districts and thief sphere nan GOP's mostly successful nan U.S. House of Representatives.

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Voting instrumentality usability David Schaefer, right, helps elector Kaitron Gordon pinch her ballot connected Tennessee's Super Tuesday superior predetermination astatine nan Cleveland Park Community Center precinct Tuesday, March 3, 2020, successful Nashville, Tenn. A judge has ruled that Super Tuesday polls will enactment unfastened later successful Nashville aft deadly overnight tornadoes delayed nan commencement of voting successful nan metropolis and rendered immoderate of its polling places unusable. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

The judges — 2 Trump-appointed judges and 1 appointed by President Barack Obama — concluded nan grounds pointed to partisan authorities arsenic nan driving unit down nan redistricting.

"At bottom, Plaintiffs won't win connected their vote-dilution declare because they haven't presented meaningful grounds that title — not authorities — motivated Tennessee's May 2026 map," nan judges wrote.

The judges contrasted nan lawsuit pinch nan Supreme Court's 2017 decision successful Cooper v. Harris, wherever nan High Court ruled that location was nonstop grounds that title influenced nan redistricting process.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., sounded this 9-0 Republican-favored representation for nan authorities aft past week's Supreme Court ruling. (Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn./X)

"Plaintiffs' grounds is simply a acold outcry from nan 'smoking gun' nonstop grounds successful Cooper v. Harris."

As evidence, nan plaintiffs pointed to nan representation itself, which eliminates nan state's only majority-minority district; lawmakers' usage of census information containing group demographics; nan different timing of nan mid-decade redistricting; Tennessee's history of group discrimination; and affidavits from Black Memphis voters who said nan caller representation diluted their voting strength.

"Plaintiffs coming nary nonstop evidence, anemic circumstantial evidence, and nary way for Tennessee to execute its governmental intends without producing nan aforesaid effect," nan judges wrote.

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Amber Sherman, a plaintiff successful nan suit and an affected voter, called nan panel's rejection of nan preliminary injunction "painful."

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"The decisions by this tribunal proceed to further nan disenfranchisement of Black voters successful Memphis," Sherman said successful a statement. "We merit nan aforesaid opportunity to style our early arsenic anyone else. When our voting powerfulness is diluted, our neighborhoods person a harder clip making their voices heard connected nan issues that style our regular lives."

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters earlier boarding Air Force One astatine Palm Beach International Airport connected March 23, 2026 successful West Palm Beach, Florida. President Trump is walking to Tennessee earlier returning to Washington. (Roberto Schmidt / Getty Images)

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While nan preliminary injunction was denied, nan suit remains ongoing.

Since Trump began urging GOP-led states to prosecute mid-decade redistricting, at slightest 8 states person adopted caller legislature maps, pinch Republicans hoping to summation seats successful Texas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. Democrats person responded pinch redistricting efforts successful California, Utah and Virginia, though Virginia's caller representation was later struck down by nan state's Supreme Court.