Judges Rule Against Redrawn Tennessee Senate Redistricting Map
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –
A lawsuit challenging newly drawn Tennessee Senate districts led Wednesday to an injunction against the map.
The ruling said the plaintiffs likely would succeed in their challenge of the map based on the fact the Senate districts in Davidson County were numbered 17, 19, 20 and 21.
The lawsuit said this is important because senatorial terms are four years but half of a county’s districts should be up for reelection every two years and the election cycle is determined by whether the district number is even or odd.
That means in Davidson County, “three districts will be on the ballot during gubernatorial elections and just one district will be on the ballot during presidential elections,” according to the lawsuit.
Wednesday’s ruling gives the Tennessee General Assembly 15 days to change the map to fit the numbering requirement. If the map is not adjusted in time, the three-judge panel will install an interim map that corrects the constitutional issue and that court-created map would apply to the 2022 senatorial election.
“The Tennessee Constitution ensures that large counties, like the state itself, receive the benefits of staggered terms in the Senate,” Attorney Scott Tift, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, said. “The legislature chose to disregard this constitutional requirement for Nashville. Plaintiffs are pleased by the Court’s ruling, which will require the legislature to fix this constitutional violation before Tennesseans begin voting in the August primaries.”
The injunction changed the filing date for Tennessee Senate seats to noon May 5 instead of noon Thursday.
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The section of the same lawsuit challenging the redrawn Tennessee House map failed to receive an injunction. That portion of the lawsuit challenged the fact that the House map included a split of 30 counties while Tennessee Democrats proposed a map splitting 23 counties.
“The Senate map was blatantly unconstitutional and the House map is going to trial,” tweeted Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville. “Some are confused thinking the House map was not in question, but it is also going to trial-just no injunction for it at this time.”
The lawsuit was funded by the Tennessee Democratic Party on behalf of Davidson County’s Akilah Moore, Shelby County’s Telise Turner and Gibson County’s Gary Wygant.
The defendants in the suit are listed as Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins.
States are required to redraw representative maps every 10 years after the U.S. census. Lee signed the Legislature-approved maps into law Feb. 6.
About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.
