Tennessee House Republicans have released and advanced a plan for the next state political map which could further weaken the already-limited influence of voters in cities.

The proposed map of legislative districts takes one seat away from Shelby County while adding three to Middle Tennessee.

The map drew instant criticism from Democrats, who said it would further entrench the Republican Party’s supermajority, but Republicans claimed this has been the most transparent round of redistricting in state history.

GOP redistricting proposal pits two Black Memphis Democrats against each other

“It’s certainly the most transparent process I’ve ever seen,” state Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) said.

When he first ran for office a decade ago, he said, “it was nowhere near as transparent as this.”

On a voice vote, the committee Friday, Dec. 17, approved the map, sending it to another committee.

The map published online depicts the entire state. It shows county boundaries, but not streets, so it’s not detailed enough to see boundaries at the neighborhood level. It also includes a “concept map book,” with slightly more detailed images of each district, but it’s still difficult to see what district you live in.

“It’s a solid plan that keeps communities of interest intact as much as possible while adjusting districts for population as required by law,” state Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis) told The Daily Memphian in a text message.

Incumbents in the same districts

Many of the district boundaries cut through downtowns — including in Jackson, Franklin and Murfreesboro — splitting urban voters, who tend to vote for Democrats, into conservative rural and suburban districts.

Many of House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s biggest Democratic critics are in the same districts as other Democratic incumbents, pitting them against each other in primaries.

State Reps. London Lamar and Torrey Harris, both Memphis Democrats and the two youngest members of the General Assembly, are among those whose homes were placed in the same district.

Harris, one of the first two openly gay members of the state legislature, said he believes the move is racially and ideologically motivated. Harris won his seat last year against John DeBerry, an independent who represented the district for more than two decades and now serves as an adviser to Republican Gov. Bill Lee.

“It’s unfortunate that your two youngest representatives are being pitted against each other while it’s possible to maintain all our districts,” Lamar wrote on Twitter. “We don’t want to cut out Tennessee’s next generation of leaders.”

Harris said this wouldn’t end his political career, but that he wouldn’t run against Lamar.

Redistricting begins, with big implications for shrinking Memphis

Five Democratic incumbents in Nashville were drawn in two districts, and three districts became open seats. Two Knoxville Democrats were also drawn into one district including state Rep. Gloria Johnson, who voted against Sexton as Speaker.

But Democrats weren’t the only ones affected. State Reps. Glen Casada and Sam Whitson, both Republicans of Williamson County, were also drawn together. Casada preceded Sexton as speaker, holding the position for less than a year in 2019 before he resigned amid a scandal. Casada won re-election last year.

Democrats said the process has been secretive and partisan, without the opportunity for input. Before this map was released, Democrats said they had to ask permission to see their proposed districts and couldn’t see any other parts of the map.

“Did the minority party have a role or input in the drafting of this plan, and if so, what?” state Rep. John Mark Windle (D-Livingston), the only white Democrat representing a rural area, asked House redistricting committee lawyer Doug Himes.

“Yes, Rep. Windle,” Himes said. “Every member had the opportunity to know where their house was located, in what district it would be in this concept and many of both parties were able to make modifications. Some did not have that opportunity, but they did know, they had the conversation and saw the plan.”

“Did any recommendations made by the minority party make it into the final draft?” Windle asked.

“Yes,” Himes said. “Many of the requests that folks had were included when they could be.”

Democrats don’t have the leverage to make changes. They hold fewer than a third of seats in the legislature, and four of the House redistricting committee’s 16 members are Democrats.

Shelby County loses one seat

As expected, Shelby County loses one seat in the proposed map, going from 14 to 13 state House members.

Due to population loss in Memphis, rapid growth in Middle Tennessee and shifts elsewhere, Shelby County could have had 13 or 14 districts and stayed within the legal number of people per lawmaker.

“It’s unfortunate that Shelby County will lose one House seat in the process, but we knew this would occur as our population has not kept pace with rapid growth in Middle Tennessee,” Gillespie said.

Democrats proposed a map with 14 districts, one of which placed all of Fayette County in a district with northern Shelby County.

Republicans and Himes said that plan might be unconstitutional and vulnerable to lawsuits.

“It appears to violate the provisions of the Constitution,” Himes told state Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis). “Thirteen as opposed to 14, I don’t know which is the right answer. But I will tell you that 13 is closer to ideal if divided evenly than 14, and reflects the fact that Shelby County had very low growth from 2010 to 2020.”

The House district covering all of Fayette and McNairy counties, with a sliver of southern Hardeman County, remains exactly the same under the GOP proposal. Tipton County’s population decreased, so the proposed district expanded geographically to include part of Haywood County, excluding Brownsville.

The Senate redistricting committee met Tuesday, Dec. 14, but Republicans did not propose a map for the state Senate or congressional districts.

Calls Saturday to three House Republicans from Shelby County — Tom Leatherwood, Kevin Vaughan and Mark White — went unanswered.

Maps for the House, Senate and U.S. Congress will move through the General Assembly as separate bills, could still be changed and have to be passed by both chambers.