Legislature Slices Memphis, Splitting Williamson County Between New Congressional Districts

After a three-day special session, the Republican-led legislature redrew the state’s congressional maps, leaving Williamson County now split between 5th and 9th Congressional Districts. 

For the first time in decades, that translates to Williamson County being represented in part by a Democrat, 9th District Congressman Steve Cohen. Gov. Bill Lee quickly signed the map into law and the NAACP's Tennessee chapter immediately filed a lawsuit to block the map’s implementation.

Residents of eastern Williamson County may not have noticed their blue representation wave crash through their neighborhoods on Thursday afternoon when the Republican supermajority in the state legislature forced through the map that split Memphis into three districts, almost certainly stripping the city of its Democratic representation. 

The previous map placed western portions of the county in the 7th Congressional District, held by the newly-elected U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps, while the eastern portions of the county were in District 5, held by Rep. Andy Ogles. 

The new map, displayed below, places the western portions of the county in District 5 and the eastern portions in district 5. Within an hour of the map’s passage, State Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) announced his candidacy for the 9th district with the support of U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty.

Willco Delegation Votes ‘Aye’

The entire Williamson County delegation voted in favor of the maps and other related bills despite significant public outcry from citizens, activists, faith leaders, civil rights experts and Democratic officials who warned that the effort would remove all Black federally elected representation from the state.

“Tennessee voters have consistently chosen conservative leadership and conservative values,” Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson told the Williamson Scene. “This congressional map reflects that reality in a fair and constitutional way. At a time when the future of our country is at stake, states like Tennessee have a responsibility to stand up and lead. The battle for control of Congress is about far more than politics. It is about preserving economic opportunity, protecting our communities, and defending the principles that make this country strong. This map helps ensure Tennessee sends leaders to Washington who will fight for secure borders, public safety, and responsible government.”

The three-day special session was rocked by continuous protests in and around the state capitol and Cordell Hull State Office Building, with Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) holding up a white sheet that read “No Jim Crow 2.0” and “Stop the TN Steal.” She stood on her desk on the Senate floor, as other Senate Democrats stood in protest in the well in an uncharacteristically defiant display in the chamber. 

“There was a lot of noise, and even some chaos, this week,” House Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) told the Williamson Scene. “But my job was to study the law, study the map, and make the best decision for District 65, Williamson County, and Tennessee. All of that led me to a ‘yes.”

On Thursday, Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), who represents Marshall County as well as a small portion of southern Williamson County, walked through a crowd of hundreds of protesters with a Trump flag as a cape, flashing a Nixonian peace sign and laughing at protesters who were held back by a line of Tennessee Highway Patrol state troopers. 

He took off the flag before entering the House chambers, which prohibits certain items from being displayed on the floor, and told the Williamson Scene that his theatrics were meant to show his support for the president, who openly pressured Gov. Bill Lee into convening the special session, and match the energy of protesters who chanted, held signs, and more, adding that Republicans caught wind that Democrats were going to “pull some stunts.”

Warner said that he doesn’t buy the concerns from Memphis residents, who are majority Black, regarding political disenfranchisement.

“If everybody would get out and vote in Memphis, I think they [Democrats] could still hold the seats,” Warner said, adding that he supported the redistricting to “try to keep the field balanced.”

“[We’re] just making sure that we do our part to help our party,” Warner said.

What’s Next For Williamson County Voters?

The sudden redistricting just months before the 2026 midterm elections has already caused concern and confusion for candidates across the state, and now election officials are left to quickly adapt to the changes and mitigate impacts on voters.

According to Williamson County Election Commission Chairman Jonathan Duda, the election commission will have to work with the State Division of Elections and other partners to ensure that each voter is assigned to their new districts.

“That includes reviewing precincts, identifying any split precincts, updating district coding in the voter registration system, and confirming that every voter receives the correct ballot style,” Duda said.

The election commission will then update and test ballots and communicate the changes in districts to voters ahead of the election. All of this means more work for election officials (and potentially more costs to taxpayers) to collect and analyze new data, implement the changes and ensure that staff are trained on those changes.

“That is manageable, but it requires careful review because ballot accuracy is one of the most important parts of election preparation,” Duda said.

“Our guiding principle will be the same as it is in every election: voters should know where and how to vote, and every eligible voter should receive the correct ballot for the districts in which they reside.”

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