A redrawn Tennessee congressional map expected to give Republicans a 9-0 advantage in congressional seats will remain in place for the state's Aug.6 primary, handing President Donald Trump and his allies another victory as they work to preserve the GOP's House majority ahead of the midterm elections.A three-judge panel on Thursday denied a request for a preliminary injunction filed by a group of Black Tennessee voters and civil rights organizations, who argued the map intentionally sought to weaken the power of Black voters.The lawsuit stems from Tennessee lawmakers redrawing the state's congressional map during a special session in May after the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v.
Callais, which made it harder to challenge redistricting plans on racial discrimination grounds.The new map split Memphis and Shelby County into three congressional districts, effectively dismantling Tennessee's only majority-Black district.
Republican lawmakers said the goal was to create a map that favored Republicans in all nine congressional districts and help preserve the GOP's majority in the U.S.House of Representatives.TENNESSEE PASSES NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP LIKELY TO FLIP FINAL DEM SEAT AS PROTESTS ERUPT INSIDE CAPITOLVoting machine operator David Schaefer, right, helps voter Kaitron Gordon with her ballot on Tennessee's Super Tuesday primary election at the Cleveland Park Community Center precinct Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn.
A judge has ruled that Super Tuesday polls will stay open later in Nashville after deadly overnight tornadoes delayed the start of voting in the city and rendered some of its polling places unusable.(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) The judges — two Trump-appointed judges and one appointed by President Barack Obama — concluded the evidence pointed to partisan politics as the driving force behind the redistricting."At bottom, Plaintiffs won't succeed on their vote-dilution claim because they haven't presented meaningful evidence that race —...