NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee's newly approved legislative map is already facing legal scrutiny, with constitutional attorney David Raybin saying the fight is far from over.
Raybin said he believes the redrawn districts — particularly in Shelby County — are unconstitutional and designed to dismantle racial representation in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
"In my opinion, based on what I've seen, it is unconstitutional," Raybin said, noting that the situation differs from recent redistricting challenges in states like Louisiana. "Here, the redistricting was to destroy a racial group in a contiguous, compact district like the Constitution requires."
Raybin argued that the changes in Tennessee cut through communities with shared geographic and cultural ties, replacing them with sprawling districts that lack commonality. One controversial district stretches nearly 300 miles from Memphis to Brentwood.
"There's no commonality there at all, and that destroys what representative democracy is all about in our country," he said.
The new law also permits election commissions not to notify voters of their district changes. Raybin warned this could sow confusion at polling places, with voters potentially discovering they are in the wrong district only after casting their ballots. He said this was "an intentional design to keep people confused" and to ensure certain districts leaned Republican.
Legal challenges, Raybin said, will move quickly because the next election is imminent. Ballots are already printed in some jurisdictions, and voters may be placed in incorrect districts.
"I think you'll see a resolution of this probably within a month or so," Raybin said, adding that he expects the issue to ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Raybin stressed that redistricting traditionally follows the U.S. Census every 10 years to reflect population shifts, but this map was created mid-cycle — which he believes undermines its legitimacy.
"At the end, it destroys our representative form of government," Raybin said. "That diversity is why our democracy is strong. When you destroy that, you affect people's ability to change their government."
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