Tennessee Redraws Map, Splitting Memphis Congressional Vote
The new congressional map leaves Memphis represented by three Republicans in Congress, ending its status as the state's only majority-Democratic district.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Elections
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Tennessee's state legislature redrew the congressional map, and Memphis is now represented by three Republicans in Congress. Memphis was previously the only majority-Democratic congressional district in Tennessee.
Why it matters
The redistricting diluted the Black and Democratic vote in Memphis, shifting representation for Tennessee residents across the state. The change reshapes how Tennessee voters are grouped into congressional districts.
Shelby County voters cast more than 172,000 votes for Democratic House candidates and about 72,000 for Republican candidates in the House races. Brent Taylor won the 9th Congressional District with approximately 2,800 votes, while the full district-by-district breakdown under the new map was not provided.
The players
David Kustoff
Kustoff is a Republican U.S. Representative from Tennessee who was reelected to represent the 8th Congressional District after serving about nine years in Congress.
Brent Taylor
Taylor is a Republican who won the 9th Congressional District race under the redrawn map with approximately 2,800 votes.
The details
The state legislature redrew the congressional map, changing how Memphis is divided among congressional districts. Memphis residents voted in the November 3, 2026 House races, and David Kustoff was reelected to represent the 8th Congressional District.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: House races were held, with Memphis residents voting for their representatives.
Before the new Congress convenes: Lawmakers must fund the government and pass bills.
Season Trajectory
Memphis had long been Tennessee's only majority-Democratic congressional district, and the redrawn map ends that distinction. The shift leaves three Republicans representing the city in Congress, reversing its previous single-district Democratic representation.
Memphis residents now have three Republican members of Congress rather than a single Democratic district representative, changing who they can directly contact on federal issues. The shift affects the grouping of Tennessee voters across congressional districts in future elections.
The takeaway
Redistricting can change which voters are grouped together, reshaping representation even when election results are similar. Readers can follow how the new districts perform in future elections to see the effects directly.
Further reading
Explore more on the Elections section for context on how Tennessee's congressional districts are drawn and contested.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Actionnews5.
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