Tennessee's Republican-controlled legislature passed a new congressional map Thursday that eliminates the state's only majority-Black district and secures GOP control of all nine House seats. The redistricting follows the Supreme Court's recent decision restricting the use of race in congressional mapmaking.

The map redraws district lines to dilute Black voting power in what was previously a competitive district, shifting it to Republican advantage. Tennessee joins other GOP-led Southern states in responding to the high court's ruling, which limited considerations of race even when used to create districts that could elect minority-preferred candidates.

The timing is significant. The Supreme Court's decision, handed down just over a week before the vote, gave Republican legislatures legal cover to pursue aggressive partisan gerrymanders while appearing to follow the court's new directive against racial considerations. Civil rights advocates argue the map effectively achieves through race-neutral language what would have been explicitly race-based before.

Tennessee's action carries real consequences. The state's lone majority-Black district had provided representation aligned with that community's voting preferences. Dismantling it reduces Black legislative representation in a state where the voting-age population is roughly 17 percent Black. The map ensures Republicans will hold comfortable margins in every seat, virtually guaranteeing no competitive races and Democratic representation based purely on geographic concentration.

The map now heads to Governor Bill Lee, a Republican who has not indicated opposition. Lee's signature would finalize the redistricting before the 2024 election cycle, locking in Republican advantages for the next decade.

Tennessee's move reflects broader Republican strategy across the South. States including Georgia, Louisiana, and others are similarly redrawing maps to reduce Democratic seats, weaponizing the Supreme Court's recent ruling to maximize partisan advantage while citing race-neutral justifications.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Tennessee Republicans converted a court ruling against racial considerations into a tool for partisan dominance, eliminating Black voters