Tennessee legislative and congressional redistricting plans recently approved by the Republican-controlled state legislature will do exactly what they are intended to do — enhance GOP control of the state House and Senate and solidify Republican domination of the state’s congressional delegation. Predictably, there are howls about the unfairness of it all from Democrats, but that was expected. The party in power always gets its way in these matters, and the party out of power always complains.
Redistricting, mandated every decade to balance legislative and congressional districts, was a heady experience for state Republicans. They’ve rarely had the opportunity to control redistricting. They were able to do so this year because the GOP holds control in both the state Senate and House and has a governor in control of government. The GOP wasn’t about to waste an opportunity to promote its interests. The party took care of its own.
As a result, Republicans are virtually certain to see their current majorities increase in the state legislature in the coming decade. In addition, the state’s congressional delegation, already firmly Republican, is likely to remain that way as a result of redistricting. Republican strategists shifted a little here, moved a little there and produced district lines that diminish the chance of Democratic victories even as they enhance the likelihood of GOP triumphs across the state.
Forced Change
In many places, including Chattanooga and the surrounding area, redrawn district lines will force some long-time colleagues to compete for the same seat. In others, shifts of precincts change the political make-up of a district. In most of those instances, the changes benefit Republicans at the expense of Democrats.