NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has approved a proposal to split fast-growing Nashville into multiple congressional seats.
The new maps will split the fifth district, which is Nashville and Davidson County, into multiple congressional districts. It's a move Democrats have warned will unfairly affect Black voters.
The Republican governor on Sunday also signed off on legislation redrawing election boundaries for the state’s Senate and House seat.
The governor’s office did not issue any public comment about why he signed the maps, but Lee had previously told reporters he saw “no reason” why he wouldn’t.
Currently, Tennessee’s U.S. House delegation consists of seven Republicans and just two Democrats, whose districts center on Nashville and Memphis.
State law requires the General Assembly to redistrict based on the U.S. Census every 10 years.