A federal judicial panel has dismissed a lawsuit that claimed Tennessee’s U.S. House and state Senate maps were examples of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.
“In sum, the complaint alleges facts that are consistent with a racial gerrymander,” the ruling, issued Wednesday, stated. “But the facts are also consistent with a political gerrymander.”
This lawsuit was the first legal challenge against Tennessee’s 2022 congressional redistricting map, which divided the Democratic stronghold of Nashville to help Republicans secure a seat in last year’s election. Critics argued this move was designed to weaken the voting power of Black communities and other minority groups.
