Tennessee’s new congressional redistricting plan and its impact on Memphis dominated the conversation on this week's WKNO/Channel 10 “Behind the Headlines,” as journalists examined the legal, political, and local fallout from the state’s decision to divide Memphis among three congressional districts.
Host Eric Barnes was joined by the Memphis Flyer’s Kailynn Johnson and the Daily Memphian’s Mary Cashiola and Bill Dries for a roundtable discussion focused on redistricting, elections, education, and transportation issues in Memphis.
Dries noted Shelby County has previously been represented by three congressional districts, but said the latest map changes how Memphis is divided politically.
“What makes this fundamentally different is Memphis is part of three congressional districts that all extend into rural West Tennessee and even into parts of Middle Tennessee,” Dries said.
The panel discussed how the new district lines stretch Memphis into broader rural regions across the state and how the changes could reshape representation in future elections. Barnes also noted the unusual way some Memphis neighborhoods are now divided among separate districts.
Johnson said much of the reaction has centered on concerns from Black voters and community leaders who believe the changes weaken representation in Memphis.
“You have this majority of people who are already not represented in so many other ways,” Johnson said. “And there, of course, [were] protests.”
Cashiola said the speed of the process has stood out to her, especially with candidate filing deadlines and the August primary approaching.
“Having this basically week for candidates to get re-certified, I mean, it feels very chaotic to me,” Cashiola said.
The conversation also focused on the legal challenges surrounding the redistricting plan, including lawsuits involving the NAACP, ACLU, and political candidates. Dries said much of the debate traces back to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Louisiana redistricting and voting rights.
Barnes questioned whether heavily partisan districts discourage voter participation and reduce political competition.
“I do wish we had coherent districts that were competitive and people ran, and the best person won,” Barnes said. “It sort of de facto depresses vote[s], which I don't think is healthy for democracy.”
The panel later turned to Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) service changes and concerns from transit advocates about the lack of an active MATA board overseeing those decisions.
Johnson said advocacy groups want city leaders to appoint a new board before route changes move forward.
“Bus riders are asking the city to at least intervene by at least instituting a new board before these changes go in place,” she said.
The discussion also touched on Memphis-Shelby County Schools and declining enrollment trends in suburban school districts. Cashiola said districts are seeing fewer kindergarten students entering schools than seniors graduating.
“They are declining enrollment,” Cashiola said, pointing to lower birth rates as a major factor.
The roundtable closed with a discussion of the broader pressures facing local governments and public institutions in Memphis, ranging from school funding debates to transportation concerns to voter participation. As candidate filing deadlines approach and multiple lawsuits move forward, the panel agreed the effects of Tennessee’s redistricting changes are likely to remain a major political issue in Memphis throughout the 2026 election cycle.
